


Internus Lupus

by TJ (tjvicious)



Series: The Augustine Chronicles [2]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Cashton, Don’t copy to another site, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Muke - Freeform, side ship Mali/Halsey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2019-12-26 17:17:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 67,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18286754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tjvicious/pseuds/TJ
Summary: ***UPDATE***To anyone who is still reading this fic, I'm so sorry it's taking me so long to update it. With my personal life, work and the holidays approaching I've had little time for any personal writing. I hope to return to updating this fic after the first of the year. Thank you so much for understanding and I hope you all come back to read the conclusion of this fic. <3Lots of love,TJ----In the aftermath of the defeating the alpha pack, Luke struggles with his newfound alpha status even as his pack grows. Calum is having a difficult time dealing with the loss of his father while his relationships with Ashton hangs in the balance. Michael's past is creeping up on him, and it's more dangerous than he ever anticipated.





	1. Chapter 1

No sooner had Luke stepped onto the third floor landing of Walton Hall were his senses assaulted by the pungent scent of patchouli and lavender. He was sure every student who lived in the building could smell the incense escaping from beneath his door. He hoped that none of them were sensitive to certain scents or they were going to have their RA barking at them to stop burning incense in the room. In fact, Luke wasn’t even sure they were allowed to burn incense. He made a mental note to find out, just in case, so he could spare Ashton the grief of being told to knock it off. They were so busy with school that his best friend got precious little time to actually practice the craft Mali was teaching him. It was a slow process, frustratingly so, for Ashton. Luke tried to be sympathetic, but the instant dizziness the incense caused him was becoming a problem. Having hypersensitive senses was not nearly as awesome as one might think.

The last few months had gone by in a blur. The Hood pack had been coping with the loss of their packmates, Joy’s husband included, and had done their best to return to normal. Not that such a thing could be easy, and certainly not for Calum. He had been particularly closed off since his father had died. Luke knew that was one reason Ashton had been throwing himself into Mali’s teachings. Calum had pushed all of them away, and Luke didn't try to pretend he understood why. Not really. It was something he had never experienced before. Specifically, Calum had pushed Ashton away. Not even Michael had been able to coax Calum into talking about how he felt. Luke had suggested therapy, but Calum had looked at him like he was an alien life form. Luke realized that it probably wouldn’t have worked anyway because there were too many things Calum wouldn’t be able to tell a therapist. He had looked into whether or not the packs from Salem or Portland had a member who was a therapist, but came up empty-handed.

The more any of them had tried to help Calum, the further he pushed them away.

Calum was not the only one who was struggling. It had been three months since they had fought Dorian Belmont, and Luke still woke from nightmares in a cold sweat. He hated having to relive that moment over and over again in his sleep. It was a little different each time, but the end result was Dorian falling to his death into the ravine. Consciously, Luke knew there had been no choice. Dorian would have killed him and the people he cared about. But that didn’t completely justify that he had taken a life. It felt like a dark stain on his soul that he couldn’t scrub clean. He worried that it would spread, and that his new nature as an alpha would always have a certain blood lust. What if he couldn’t control it? He had begun to notice changes in him immediately and they worried him. He was stronger now, desired submission from his packmates, and his fuse seemed to have become just that much shorter. Mali had promised him that he could work through balancing being an alpha with time and patience. Luke becoming an alpha so soon after turning was something none of the Hood pack had ever dealt with before. It was as new to them as it was Luke. But he trusted them. 

Luke tested the doorknob to find it was unlocked before pushing it open. The room was dark save for a circle of candles, but his vision was sharp enough to see regardless. In the middle of the candles, Ashton sitting on a yoga mat, cross-legged, with his hands resting on his knees, palms up. In each palm was a smooth stone. Luke knew Ashton had probably borrowed them from Mali.

As he leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, the patchouli and lavender wafted into the hallways, causing a few passersby to wrinkle their noses. One of Mali’s meditation soundtracks played in the background, the soft twang of a sitar familiar to him.

If Ashton knew he was there, he gave no sign of it.

Deciding not to bother his friend, Luke carefully inched his way into the dorm, closing the door behind him. The click of it sounded too loud, but Ashton hadn’t moved. Maybe he was that deep into a meditative state he was able to block it out. Luke was a little bit jealous. He could never seem to find that peace that Mali was always encouraging him to look for.

Luke tiptoed around the circle of candles, his balance better than ever. He almost made it to his bed, was almost home free, until his foot caught on a stack of books. He cursed as he toppled into his desk, causing the lamp and two binders to crash to the floor. That was enough noise, apparently, to startle Ashton out of his meditative state and he whipped around to glower at Luke.

“You know for an alpha werewolf, you are obnoxiously clumsy still,” he scoffed. Ashton reached for the laptop on the floor just outside the candle circle and stopped the music. He set the palm stones on the floor next to it.

“Sorry,” Luke muttered as he straightened himself up. He leaned over and picked up the lamp and binders, placing them back on the desk. “I was trying not to bother you.”

Ashton’s expression went from sour to sardonic. “You failed epically.”

Picking up a pillow, Luke hurled it at his friend who caught it and threw it back. Luke moved to sit on his bed and held the pillow against his chest, arms wrapped securely around it. “What are you meditating about?”

Ashton shrugged. “Nothing in particular.”

“Liar.”

“Okay,” he sighed. “I’m trying to distract myself from this whole thing with Calum. He hasn’t really talked to me in days other than some idle chit chat. It’s like a whole fortress has been built around him, and I don’t know how to penetrate it.”

Luke tried, and failed, not to smirk at Ashton’s choice of words which only earned him a kick. Ashton got up from the yoga mat to turn on a lamp before he blew out the candles, and put out the incense, a smoky scent mingling with the patchouli and lavender.

Then he flopped down on the bed next to Luke. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Maybe there’s nothing you can do,” Luke offered. “Maybe this is just something that Calum has to work through on his own. What happened with the pack was traumatic, but Calum didn’t just lose packmates, he lost his dad.”

“I know.” Ashton’s shoulders slumped faintly. “I just wish he’d let someone in. It doesn’t have to be me.”

“He will when he’s ready. It's barely been three months.” Luke reached out and gripped Ashton’s shoulder comfortingly. “And with the holidays coming...it’s going to be hard for them.”

For a long time, Ashton was silent, as though he were mulling over Luke’s words. Luke could see the struggle on his friend’s face, the indecision on whether he ought to keep trying to get to Calum or let Calum come to him. He understood because he understood Ashton. Ashton was a caretaker. He wanted to take care of the people he loved. Sometimes, Luke even thought his desire to be needed pushed an unhealthy boundary. Ashton had self-sacrificed before, and he had almost done it again by not leaving home for college. Luke had been able to talk him off of the ledge though it had taken weeks to do so.

“Speaking of the holidays…,” said Ashton slowly. Luke arched a brow. “What are you going to do about your parents?”

Luke groaned. He flopped back onto his bed and brought the pillow up to cover his face, not wanting to think about it at all.

Three weeks ago, his mother had called to inform him that she and his father would be coming out to Eugene to spend Thanksgiving with him and Ashton. They would stay in a hotel not far from the university, and though they wouldn’t be able to cook a traditional meal like they had in the past, his father had already been Google searching nice restaurants to make a reservation at. Luke had tried to talk her out of it, tried to tell her that they could really use that extra time without classes or work to study, but she would hear none of it. He had given up when he learned they already had their plane tickets and hotel room booked.

It was going to be four days with his parents over Thanksgiving break. And the cherry on top was that weekend was also the full moon. Luke had no idea how he was going to explain to his parents that he needed to be gone all night to run the woods. Even though he could control his shifts at will now that he was an alpha, he still needed that freedom every month.

Plus, Michael needed him as well.

Michael was a whole other thing that Luke had to tackle when it came to his parents. They didn’t know he was dating anyone though his mother suspected. They weren’t exactly up to speed with the latest social media trends, and Luke didn’t vomit his entire personal life on Instagram anyway. His parents knew he was gay, had known for ages, but he was still nervous to introduce Michael to them.

He chalked it up to new relationship jitters.

“It won’t be so bad,” Ashton said dubiously. “Right?”

“Maybe not.” Luke was trying not to be insensitive by complaining about his parents coming to see him since Ashton’s family couldn’t afford the trip to visit. They would both be going home for Christmas, which was also going to be really interesting. “They’ll be happy to see us at least.”

It was only a four days. Luke could handle it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

Michael was half asleep when he heard the door to his dorm open and a sliver of light washed along the opposite wall and Calum’s bed, which was empty. He frowned slightly at the reminder that his best friend had barely been in their dorm as of late, leaving an empty space. He missed him. But it was easy to be distracted by the tall, lanky figure that was creeping through the door. Michael smiled faintly as Luke closed the door softly behind him, padded across the floor and crawled into bed with him.

Scooting over to give his boyfriend room, Michael turned on his side so he was facing Luke and smiled faintly.

“Can’t sleep?”

Luke nodded.

Michael laughed softly, and slid an arm around Luke’s waist. His hand slipped beneath the hem of his t-shirt to touch the warm skin beneath. Gently, he moved his fingertips along Luke’s spine until Luke shivered and squirmed.

“Tickles,” he muttered.

“Kinda the point.” Michael kissed his nose playfully. “What’s on your mind?”

“A lot of shit. Calum, the whole alpha business, my parents coming into town. They don’t know we’re dating. I haven’t told them.”

“Why not? Are they homophobes?”

“Not at all,” said Luke quickly. “No, they’ve known I was gay for ages. It’s just always nerve wracking to introduce someone to your parents for the first time. And we’re not exactly a normal couple.”

“Because we’re werewolves,” Michael stated.

“Yeah. Because we’re werewolves.”

Michael hummed thoughtfully as Luke buried his face against his chest. He took his hand out from under Luke's shirt and moved his fingers through dark blond locks instead. He didn’t really know how Luke was feeling. Not really. He had never introduced his father to anyone he had dated because there had never been anyone to introduce. Relationships had been non-existent in Michael’s life until Luke.

Besides, his father would have wanted him to date another hunter and carry on the family business.

“Do you think they won’t like me?” he asked.

Luke drew back and frowned at him. “No, of course not. I think they’ll love you. It’s not you. It’s just...everything right now.”

Michael smiled sympathetically. “I get it.”

“I swear it’s not you,” Luke leaned forward and kissed him gently. “Not at all. You’re amazing, and wonderful, and super sexy.” Each compliment was punctuated with a kiss in between, and Michael couldn’t help but chuckle.

On the last kiss, Michael grabbed hold of Luke’s lower lip with his teeth and tugged it playfully. It drew a soft sound from his lover that sent a shiver down his spine.

“How can I help you sleep better?” he murmured against Luke’s lips.

A smirk lit his boyfriend’s features. “I think you have some ideas.”

Michael did have ideas. Many of them. He grinned as he pushed Luke onto his back and crawled on top of him. He dipped his head and kissed Luke eagerly, his tongue slipping past plush lips. He moaned as their tongues met, his hips pressing down against Luke’s as Luke’s knees trapped his body between them. Fingers wove through his recently dyed blue hair, and he broke the kiss. Michael nudged Luke’s chin with his nose, encouraging him to tilt his head back so he could kiss the front of his throat. But as soon as his teeth made contact with skin, he felt Luke tense beneath him. Immediately, he drew back and looked down at his boyfriend with concerned eyes. This was something that was happening more frequently lately, and Michael had a pretty good idea why.

“You okay?” he asked.

Luke drew in a shaky breath and nodded. “Yeah, I’m good. Don’t stop.”

Michael nodded before he dipped his head once more and pressed a kiss to Luke’s Adam’s apple. He could still feel the tension coming off of his boyfriend. He hoped to ease it with a few gentle kisses, but instead it drew a low growl out of Luke.

Before Michael could say anything, he was suddenly on his back against the mattress. It was an impressive maneuver considering how small they were. He gasped as he looked up at Luke and blue eyes flashed a sudden red. It was only a second, but Michael caught it nonetheless. The alpha nature inside of Luke did not like being submissive. It especially did not like being in a vulnerable position to an omega.

Luke’s hands snatched Michael’s wrists and he pinned them to the mattress above his head, bringing a grunt of surprise from him.

“Hey, chill out okay?” He attempted to wrench his wrists from Luke’s grip, but the alpha was too strong. The more he struggled, the tighter the grip became to the point it was painful.

Michael bucked up against Luke’s frame, panic starting to rise from the pit of his stomach. “Luke, snap out of it.” He kept his voice low so it didn’t draw too much attention. The last thing they needed was some unsuspecting student to happen upon them while Luke was wolfed out. “Goddammit, let me go!”

A wicked smirk crossed Luke’s features, and Michael knew he was slipping. The alpha nature was taking over, and the more he struggled the more it excited the wolf inside. Luke’s grip was like a vice, and his knees locked against Michael’s hips, strong enough to keep him in place. It was a power balance Michael had not anticipated though he should have. He didn’t have an experience with this and it frightened him.

Luke pressed his nose against Michael's neck and breathed in his scent. “I can smell your fear,” he muttered. “It’s so good.”

Michael suppressed the whimper that threatened to leave him, his heart racing in his chest. He should have known this was coming. The signs had been happening for weeks. Ever since Luke had become an alpha so prematurely. The tension, the irritability and now the inherent desire to dominate his lover. It was heightened during intense emotions or hormonal rushes. Michael had known that, but his own selfish desire for Luke had made him reckless.

Now he was in a situation he wasn’t strong enough to get out of.

“Luke, please stop.”

Luke didn’t seem to hear him, and Michael cried out as teeth sunk into his neck.


	2. Chapter 2

He didn’t know what had come over him at first. Why he had hated the idea of Michael being on top of him while he lay on his back like such a weak creature. Luke had tried to ignore the irritation it caused him, tried to ignore the wolf inside of him that wanted to hold Michael by the throat and force him to bend his will. These feelings were something he had been struggling with since he had become and alpha. Each time he felt an intense emotion or hormonal spike, the beast reared its head and he could not stop it from surfacing. Luke hated it. He had been working with Mali more than ever to find that balance, but every time it seemed to elude him. He grew frustrated and angry. If he couldn’t control himself then how could he be an alpha? How could he lead a pack?

His teeth sank into the soft flesh of Michael’s neck, not deep enough to leave any real damage but enough to break the skin. The metallic taste of blood was on his tongue, and it only made him want to hold on tighter. Until Michael stopped squirming beneath him and gave up, submitted to him.

Luke was about to bite harder when he felt hands on his shoulders, and suddenly he was being ripped away from Michael.

His back hit the wall roughly and he growled as his eyes focused on who it was manhandling him: Calum. Luke’s eyes flashed angrily as he took hold of Calum’s wrists and ripped them away from where they had hold of his shirt.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” he shouted, canines lengthening threateningly. He could rip Calum’s throat out right now. It would be easy. Calum was just a beta and it made him weaker than Luke by default. But he was not Claum’s alpha, and Calum had the strength of a large back behind him.

That sliver of doubt was just enough for reason to break through the fog over his human conscience.

“Then get a fucking grip on yourself,” Calum spat, his features twisted as he bared his teeth.

Luke didn’t respond, instead looking past Calum to where Michael had stepped up behind him, a hand pressed to his neck. Blood slicked his skin and stained the tank top he was wearing, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped. The puncture wounds Luke’s teeth left behind would heal, but that knowledge did nothing to assuage the guilt that cramped his stomach.

Michael rested his free hand on Calum’s shoulder. “Cal, it’s okay. I’ve got this.”

Calum bristled as he whipped around to face Michael. “No, it’s not okay. This,” he pointed to Michael’s wounded neck, “is not okay. He shouldn’t be near you if he can’t control himself.”

Luke wanted to shrink in on himself, wanted the floor beneath him open up and swallow him whole. Guilt and embarrassment clawed up his chest, and tears stung the back of his eyes. Calum was right. If he couldn’t be trusted not to lose himself to the animal inside then he needed to stay away from Michael until he could figure it out. Luke wasn’t willing to risk seriously hurting Michael the next time this happened. The closer they got to the full moon, the worse it got. His parents really could not have chosen a worse time to want to visit.

“He’s right, Michael.” Luke let out a shaky breath and pushed himself off the wall. “I can’t keep hurting you like this.”

Michael shook his head vehemently. “Stop. It’s not your fault. I’m fine. See?” He pulled his hand away from his neck to show the already healed bite mark. “I’m totally fine.”

“This time,” said Calum. “What about next time?”

Luke’s eyes cut to Calum, and it took everything inside of him not to sneer at his friend. He was still wrestling with the alpha, attempting to shove him down and control him. It was more exhausting than he could have ever imagined. Luke had to leave. He had to get way and clear his head.

“I should go,” he muttered. He stepped around Calum and looked to Michael helplessly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to hurt you.”

“Luke, wait…,” Michael reached for his wrist, but he tugged it away and hurried out of the room. The last thing he heard before he descended the stairs was Calum’s voice.

“Let him go.”

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

When Ashton woke the next morning, he was surprised to see that Luke wasn’t asleep in the bed across the room. In fact, it looked like it hadn’t been slept in at all.

Bleary-eyed, he spotted his phone on the plastic drawers next to his bed and grabbed it to check the time. It was only seven in the morning, half an hour before his alarm was even meant to go off so he would make it to his first class of the day on time. Ashton groaned as he opened the lock screen and shut the alarm off. There was no point in going back to sleep now.

He checked his messages next to see if Luke had texted him, but there was nothing. Ashton frowned, considered texting Luke instead, but decided against it for now. If by the time he was done in the shower he hadn’t heard from his friend then he would call him.

Today was their last day of classes before Thanksgiving break, and Luke’s parents were flying into Portland that evening. They had made plans to borrow Ashley’s SUV to go get them so they didn’t have to rent a car or pay for an Uber all the way to Eugene. Luke wouldn’t miss that.

Tossing his blanket off of him, Ashton got up and gathered clean clothes, a towel and his bathroom caddy and headed for the showers.

He exchanged hellos and waves with the people on his floor, narrowly avoiding their RA, and slipped into the bathroom where he ran smack into someone because he wasn’t paying attention.

Ashton let out a surprised yelp, and stumbled back a step or two. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he said automatically, his eyes coming up to find it was Calum he ran into. Calum in nothing but a towel, his skin still damp from a shower and the ends of his hair dripping onto his shoulders. Ashton sucked in a sharp breath.

“‘S fine,” Calum shrugged. He didn’t offer even a flicker of a smile.

Loathe to let Calum slip by him when he had spent the last several weeks avoiding Ashton, he didn’t move out of Calum’s way. “How’ve you been? How are your classes.”

Calum shrugged again. “They’re fine.”

It did not slip past Ashton that Calum had failed to answer his first question.

“Good. I’m glad,” he replied.

For a long moment, the two of them stood there in silence. People moved around them, blissfully unaware of the tension that was buzzing between them like a live wire.

Ashton groped for something to say. He did not want to ask Calum about his holiday plans because he was sure that was a sore subject. He was tempted to ask Calum if he wanted to get coffee later, but Ashton was not sure he could bare the sting of rejection again. So it left him standing there awkwardly, trying to keep his eyes on anything that was not Calum’s half naked, wet body.

“I should go,” Calum muttered. “I’ve got class in twenty minutes.”

“Oh, okay.” Ashton stepped aside and watched as Calum walked past him. Calum was halfway out the door when he said, “Wait. Do you want to see a movie later?” He bit down on his lower lip, hoping that Calum did not say no.

Calum paused and turned back to him, his brow furrowed. “A movie?”

“Yeah. The new _Fantastic Beasts_ movie is playing. I thought we could see it together.”

A slight grin came over Calum’s features, and Ashton knew it was because he was blushing. He could feel it in how warm his cheeks had become. He was a nerd. He knew and accepted this about himself.

“Sure. Let’s go see it.”

Ashton brightened considerably. “Okay, awesome. There’s a showing at four. Is that cool?”

Calum nodded. “See you then.”

He slipped through the door and left Ashton behind, feeling lighter than he had in weeks.

Grinning, he finally got in the shower. Any concerns or thoughts he had about Luke from earlier had vanished with his previously sour mood.

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

Calum’s last class ended at two-thirty, which gave him plenty of time to think twice about his plans to go with Ashton to the movies. Ashton had texted him a little while ago, suggesting they meet up at the cafe inside Walton Hall so they could take a bus to the theater together. Calum had simply responded with a thumbs up emoji. Now he was wondering if he ought to text Ashton again and tell him something had come up.

It had been weeks since the two of them had spent time alone together. After his dad had died in the fight with Dorian’s alpha pack, the idea of allowing someone in terrified him. He had built the walls up quickly, wanting to protect his wounded heart. It felt like someone had punched a hole right through it, left him bleeding with no way to stitch up that wound. How could he risk allowing yet another person into his life when he could so easily lose them like he had his father? Like he had his packmates?

Calum had always known being a werewolf came with a certain amount of danger. He had been raised within the pack, raised with the stories of hunters and rogue werewolves who were considered risks. He had been raised to always be circumspect because they never knew when danger would find them. But Calum had failed at that completely. He had become heedless because all throughout his childhood and teen years, such danger had never befallen them. All of those stories were stories that happened to other packs, not his. They were a strong pack, led by his mother who was one of the most respected alphas in the region.

It was clearly that hubris that had gotten his father and their fellow packmates killed.

Calum drew in a shaky breath as the clock on his phone ticked down the hour until three fifteen, the agreed upon time to meet Ashton in the cafe.

A small voice in the back of his head told him to go. It told him he was not being fair to Ashton who only wanted to be there for him. It was a voice that Calum could normally squash into silence, but today it was persistent. He rose from the bed and left the dorm room, locking it behind him.

By the time he got to the cafe, Ashton was already there, sitting at one of the high top tables and scrolling through something on his phone. He looked up as Calum approached and offered a bright smile. He had missed that smile. He offered a slight one in return.

“Ready?” Ashton asked.

“Ready.”

They left the cafe and crossed the campus to the bus stop on Agate Street that would take them the eleven minutes to the theater. The bus was crowded, noisy, and the two of them sat together mostly in silence. Occasionally, Ashton would ask him a question and Calum would reply with a simple answer then they would fall silent again. Their hands rested on their thighs, and more than once Calum thought Ashton would take his hand to hold but he never did. He wondered if he ought to be disappointed, or if he ought to expect it because of how he had been treating Ashton the last few months.

Suddenly, the bus felt too small. Calum felt like it was closing in on him. He leaned his head back against the headrest and breathed in deep through his nose, and out through his mouth until his heart calmed and his chest loosened.

He was glad when the bus stopped a block from the theater and they could get off.

Ashton insisted on paying despite Calum’s protests, and he argued that he would buy popcorn and soda to make it even. Ashton did not argue with him, and for a moment Calum thought maybe this would be okay. Maybe he would be okay. This was something normal. Something fun to take his mind off of all the horrible things that had happened lately.

But even as they made their way into the theater and found seats, anxiety coiled in the pit of his stomach like a snake ready to strike. He tried to ignore it as the previews played and the opening sequence began.

Calum picked at the popcorn, his stomach in knots and essentially killing his appetite. He had not really been able to eat in weeks, and only did so because he had to. He worried at the inside of his cheek as the frames whipped by on the screen, but the voices all blended together and he lost the story at some point. He gripped the arm rests of his seat tightly as the first fight scene began.

It wasn’t the fight scene of the movie he was seeing in his head, it was the battle with the alpha pack. All Calum could see was blood, all he could smell was fear, and all he could hear was his family and friends dying around him.

He couldn’t breathe. He felt paralyzed. His chest felt so tight it felt like his heart was going to stop beating at any moment. A soft whimper left him as he tried to suck in a mouthful of air, but he couldn’t.

Over the cacophony of the movie, he heard Ashton’s voice saying his name though it sounded like he was hearing it from underwater; garbled and far away.

Calum leaped from his chair and bolted down the aisle of seats and toward the exit, not bothering to apologize to the people he disturbed on the way. Behind him, he heard Ashton call to him again, could hear his footsteps chasing after him. He burst through the exit door and jogged several feet before his legs turned to jelly. He leaned against the brick wall, tears stinging his eyes as he hyperventilated. Calum curled his hands into fists, his nails biting into his flesh as he tried to distract himself from the anxiety that wrapped around him.

“Calum!” Ashton stopped in front of him, though he kept a slight distance between them as though he did not want to crowed him. “Calum, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay. This will pass. Just try and breathe.”

Ashton’s voice was soothing as he spoke to him, assured him there was nothing to be afraid of. Then he began to talk about their classes, about how he didn’t really like the movie as much as he thought he would have. He talked about anything small and trivial just to take Calum’s mind away from the anxiety attack. He did not ask why Calum was panicking. He did not appear irritated, and he did not try and touch him. Through the haze of anxiety, Calum knew it was because Ashton was learning how to handle anxiety from his classes.

Finally, Calum’s breathing evened out and his chest began to loosen. His heart slowed, and he felt like he could fill his lungs again. He took a deep, gulping breath as he stood up straight and leaned his head back against the brick wall. For a moment, Calum closed his eyes and simply breathed until he felt like he could form words again.

“Thank you,” he murmured softly.

“Don’t thank me. I didn’t do anything special.”

Calum flashed him a small smile. “You definitely did. You help me work through it.”

Ashton did not reply as he averted his eyes to the ground. His hands were in the pockets of his jacket, and he rocked back on his heels. Calum could see he was thinking something and said, “Go ahead. Ask me what you want to ask me.”

Ashton seemed to hesitate, consider the lifeline he’d just been tossed, then blurted, “Did I do something wrong?”

A frown tugged at Calum’s mouth and he shook his head slowly. “No, Ash. You didn’t do anything wrong. I just...it’s complicated…”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that. I’m being totally selfish right now.”

The words came quickly, and made Calum frown deeper. An uncomfortable silence filled the space between them, and Calum thought of a thousand things he wanted to say to Ashton. But they all caught on the tip of his tongue and melted away.

Ashton had every right to want to know why Calum had treated him like a stranger the last three months. It was especially unfair of him to be this way after he had kissed Ashton. Maybe it was just a kiss. Maybe it was not such a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but Calum had felt at the time like it was the start of something great.

Then it had all come crashing down around him.

And he did not know how to let Ashton close to him again when all he wanted to do was run away from his hurt. 

“We should get back,” Ashton said softly. “I have to go with Luke to get his parents from the airport.”

That’s right. Luke’s parents were coming into town for Thanksgiving which was tomorrow.

“Okay.”

The two of them fell into step with one another as they walked back to the bus stop, and when they boarded, Calum took the inside seat. He pressed his head against the glass, and let his vision blur as the city whipped past them.


	3. Chapter 3

Luke paced the shiny tile floor of the ticket area inside the airport restlessly as he chewed on his fingernail. He was nervous. More nervous than he had ever been in his entire life. He felt ridiculous because of it. They were his parents, after all, and they would love him no matter what. Luke’s brothers, Ben and Jack, had kept his secret so far. But it was only a matter of time before he had to tell them. Especially if he was going home for Christmas. It was not fair to keep this type of secret from them, yet Luke was concerned it would only put them in danger.

His parents had chosen to leave life with a werewolf pack behind for a reason.

He drew his phone out of his pocket and looked at the time. Twenty minutes until they landed, fifteen minutes to taxi the plane and another ten for them to deboard and get through the concourse. That was entirely too much time left for him to go over, again, what a bad idea this holiday was. It was more stress piled on top of his apparent lack at being able to get this whole alpha thing (or being a werewolf in general) right, and the fact he couldn’t get his shit together where Michael was concerned. Oh, and of course, there was the full moon in two days.

Luke wanted to do nothing more than run away from all of his problems.

“Hey,” Ashton’s voice broke through his thoughts. “You’re making me anxious. Can you please stop pacing.”

He drew in a sharp breath, the desire to snap at his best friend on the tip of his tongue. He managed to swallow the words and gave a curt nod.

He flopped into the not-so-comfortable chair next to Ashton.

“What is wrong with you? Did something happen?”

“No,” he said. Sometimes, he really hated how perceptive Ashton was.

“Liar,” said Ashton.

Luke cut a glance to his friend and scowled at him. “Okay, fine. Something happened, but I don’t really want to talk about it.” Except he probably should talk about it. Ashton had taken on the role of being his pack’s healer. Someone he was supposed to trust explicitly. Letting his head fall back, he sighed and said, “I hurt Michael.”

Ashton stiffened imperceptibly, or that would have been the case if Luke were not a werewolf. “What do you mean? How?”

Luke bit down on his lower lip and shook his head. Embarrassment washed over him, and he could feel his cheeks growing hot from it. He had to remind himself that this was Ashton, and that Ashton would not judge him.

“I-I bit him...when we were kissing…,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to. It just happened. It’s like...when emotions become too intense, or I get turned on, I can’t control it. I want…”

“You want to dominate,” Ashton said.

“Yeah,” Luke nodded. “That’s exactly what happens.”

For a moment, Ashton was silent. Luke could tell he was thinking, mulling over the information in his head. He did not look afraid or concerned, nor did he look as though he was going to scold him for his lack of control. A small tendril of relief moved through him.

“I think,” said Ashton slowly, “that this is going to be kinda par for the course. Omegas don’t generally best an alpha. They don’t have the strength or the experience for it, but you did. You killed Dorian and became an alpha way before you were ready. You had only been a werewolf for what? Two months? It’s understandable, Luke. I don’t think it’s something you ought to beat yourself up over.”

“Yeah, but I also can’t go around hurting people,” he pointed out.

“That’s true.” Ashton sighed softly. “But I think people will probably understand that it’s going to take you longer to figure this stuff out. It’s not like you aren’t trying, right? You are trying.”

Luke nodded. “Yeah, of course I’m trying. I don’t want to be like this.”

“Then you’ll figure it out. You just might want to stay away from certain triggers until you’ve got a better handle on it. I know you’re into Michael, but if he’s one of those triggers then you need to separate yourself. Just for a little bit. I know you don’t want to hurt him.” Ashton bumped him with his shoulder gently.

No, Luke did not want to hurt Michael. Not at all. He cared about Michael more than he would have ever thought was possible. He did not like the idea of staying away from Michael, and the alpha inside of him was even more displeased. But if it meant keeping Michael safe then Luke would suck it up and deal.

“I don’t know how to tell him I have to stay away from him,” he muttered.

Ashton sighed softly. “No one said this was going to be easy. It doesn’t have to be over. Just...temporarily on pause.”

Luke nodded as he closed his eyes, letting Ashton’s words sink in. Since the night before, he had avoided seeing Michael, and his texts. He felt badly about it, but he also could not bring himself to face him just yet. Not when the embarrassment was still so fresh and the full moon so close. The alpha was too restless.

“So much for a functioning pack,” he laughed bitterly.

“Hey,” said Ashton, “we’ll get there.”

Luke’s phone dinged, alerting him to a text message and he was relieved to see it was not from Michael, but his mother. The plane had landed and they were nearly to the gate. He was out of his seat pacing again, much to Ashton’s chagrin, as they waited for them to come off the concourse and into the ticketing area to meet them. He had precious few moments to compose himself because if his mother got even the slightest hint something was off about him, she would latch onto it and pester him the entire time. As much as he loved the woman, Liz Hemmings was sometimes a dog with a bone, especially with Luke since he was the youngest.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to focus on one of Mali’s many calming techniques. He opened up his first chakra and drew in a steadying breath before repeating to himself softly, “I am strong. I am fearless. I shall overcome.”

Ten recitations later, and Luke felt profoundly less anxious than he had felt the entire day.

And it was a good thing because less than a minute later, his parents exited the concourse and his mother ran over to throw her arms around him.

“Hi mom,” he said, wrapping his long arms around her. He waved to his father as Andrew drew Ashton into a hug.

His mother squeezed him tightly, then leaned back and said, “Look at you. You look taller than when we left you in August. Thinner, too. Have you been eating properly?”

“Definitely not taller. Definitely not thinner,” Luke assured her. “I eat fine, Mom. Promise.”

Liz did not look thoroughly convinced, but she held her tongue so she could hug Ashton and smother him as well. Luke took the opportunity to hug his dad, the calming presence of his father easing his own worried mind.

“You look fine,” said his dad. “Your mom will always worry.”

“I know.”

They parted and his mother drew him into another hug before Andrew suggested the wait by the baggage carousel. A few minutes later, Luke and Ashton were hauling his parents two bags from the carousel and through the airport to the parking lot. They packed the bags into the back of Ashley’s SUV, then piled into it, Luke in the driver’s seat with his mom in the front passenger seat. Ashton and his dad settled in the backseat and buckled up.

“What do you guys want to do first?” Luke asked as he paid the parking fare and pulled out onto the street. “Get food or head to Eugene and check in?”

“I was hoping to see your dorm,” Liz said.

“Probably better to wait until tomorrow,” Andrew interjected. “It’s getting late.”

Liz looked disappointed, and Luke reached over to pat her knee gently. “Don’t worry, Mom. It’s not that exciting, but I promise we’ll show you all over the campus.”

She brightened and agreed that stopping at a restaurant was a great idea after all.

Every place was busy in Portland with all the traveling that was occurring because of Thanksgiving, but they found a restaurant a little while later and gathered around a booth near the back. They chatted between ordering drinks and food, the cacophony of patrons around them was like white noise. Luke found himself relaxing more and more with the casual conversation and laughter they shared with his parents. They had no idea what was going on. They had no idea he was an alpha werewolf, or that Ashton was his pack healer, or that his boyfriend was a werewolf hunter turned omega. They did not know Calum’s mother was one of the most respected alphas in Eugene. They believed everything was mundanely, wonderfully normal.

Luke could almost convince himself that it was true.

By the time they got back on the road, the traffic had thinned somewhat and they got to Eugene in less than an hour and a half. Luke and Ashton helped his parents take their luggage up to their hotel room, sat around for a few minutes, then decided they should get back to the dorm so his parents could rest. The plan was to meet for breakfast in the morning, then explore the campus and the rest of Eugene before dinner at the restaurant his father had a reservation for. They said goodnight to his parents and left.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Ashton said, flopping onto his bed once they were back in their dorm.

“Thankfully,” Luke let out a dramatic breath as he stripped his jacket off and laid it over the chair at his desk. Next he removed his phone from his pocket and set it aside, then his t-shirt and jeans and tossed them into hamper. He dug out a pair of pajama pants from one of the plastic drawers near his bed and put them on. “Guess I was worried for nothing.”

“Probably. I know the full moon makes you tense, but I doubt you’re gonna have to explain anything to them. You can run at night and be back before they even wake up. Easy peasy.”

“Yeah, this time.” Luke sat on the edge of his bed and ran a hand through his hair. “Christmas might be a bit more difficult in suburbia.”

Ashton said, “I’ll be there. We’ll figure it out. Go to sleep.”

He smiled gratefully at his friend before slipping beneath the blankets of his bed. Luke reminded himself that he really had no business underestimating Ashton. Ashton had been through just as much turmoil in the past three months as he had. His life had been turned upside down, too. He was stronger than people gave him credit for.

Almost without thinking about it, Luke reached for his phone and turned the screen on. There were no new messages and he frowned faintly. Maybe Michael had given up on trying to contact him. He couldn’t blame him. Michael was spending Thanksgiving with Calum and the pack, and he was supposed to meet Luke’s parents. But Luke did not think that was going to happen. Not when there was so much risk involved.

Letting the phone fall to his chest, Luke sighed and closed his eyes. Sleep did not come easily to him.

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

It was late, the only sounds the creaking of the house as it settled and wind as it blew through the trees gently outside. Michael’s curtains were open, allowing the milky light of the moon pour through the glass and across the floor. The night after Thanksgiving was the full moon, but instead of being with his new pack - with Luke - he would be here with Joy. It was not a pleasant feeling that settled in his chest.

Michael was not sure what he should have expected. He had assumed, ignorantly, that Luke would be fine. That he would figure it out just like any alpha did. He had not met many alphas in his time as a werewolf, but those he had had been werewolves for their entire lives, or for several years. He could not figure out why he thought Luke would simply fall into leadership like a natural. Perhaps it was his own wishful thinking, his own boyish heart wanting to finally find the place he felt like he belonged. It was stupid and reckless, and Michael had learned a long time ago that he could be neither of those things if he wished to survive.

The unrealistic fantasy that he would be part of Luke’s pack, that he would finally transition from omega to beta, and that he would belong had been dashed as reality set in.

Luke was not able to control the alpha nature inside of him, therefore, he was not able to properly lead a pack.

Joy did not know it, but he had eavesdropped on one of her conversations with her new second in command, Tali, and her words had caused his chest to tighten. He could not only hear the concern in her voice, but he could sense it in her chemical signals. The Order would only allow Luke so long before they came to take care of the problem themselves.

They would never explicitly say it, but Michael knew it meant they would kill Luke. That was something he feared. Something he had not been able to tell Luke.

Mali was doing everything she could to help Luke, but they were all out of their depth. No one had come across an alpha who had become such so soon after being turned. Luke was an anomaly. As far as the Order was concerned, it made him dangerous.

Footsteps just outside his door drew Michael out of his rumination and his eyes slid to the door. He knew by the pattern of those steps that it was Calum passing by. He also knew that his friend had not been sleeping well as of late.

Tossing the blankets off of him, Michael slid out of his bed and pulled on pajama pants and a hoodie. He found a thick pair of socks and pulled them on as well before stuffing his feet into a pair of bunny slippers Mali had gotten him from Christmas last year during their white elephant exchange. He would never say it out loud, but Michael loved those stupid bunny slippers.

By the time he got downstairs, the kitchen light was on and he could see Calum leaning against the counter as he waited for the kettle on the stove to boil. Michael leaned against the entry frame and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Tea or cocoa?”

Calum gave him a soft smile. “Chamomile and lavender. Mali’s suggestion, but I kinda hate the stuff.”

“Is it helping at least?” asked Michael.

“Sometimes. Sometimes not,” Calum shrugged. “If I could find a way to make the nightmares stop then maybe it’d be better.”

Michael frowned. He had not known that Calum was struggling with sleepless nights because of nightmares. This was the longest conversation they had had in days. He felt like it was tenuous, like a thin thread that was going to snap with just the slightest tension. Michael tried to make sure Calum knew he was there, that he could cry on his shoulder if he needed to, but so far he had rejected every attempt at comfort. Not even Ashton could seem to reach him, and Michael knew Calum loved him.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked, finally.

“Sure.”

Michael opened the cupboard and got a mug down to set on the counter. Instead of reaching for tea, however, he got a packet of Swiss Miss out of the pantry. He was not a fan of tea, and only drank it when Mali pestered him to before meditation. He ripped open the packet and poured the contents into the mug.

“You sure you don’t want cocoa instead?” he asked. “It’s so much better than leaf water.” Michael made a face.

“And full of caffeine that definitely isn’t going to help me sleep,” said Calum.

Michael conceded his point. When the kettle whistled, Calum poured the hot water into their cups. They got spoons from the cutlery drawer and took their steaming mugs to the table. Michael stirred his cocoa absently as he waited for it to cool enough to drink.

“I tried to go to the movies with Ashton today.” Michael raised a brow at his friend, encouraging him to go on. “It didn’t go well.”

“Why not?”

Calum’s brow furrowed as he wrapped his hands around his mug, now free of a tea bag. “I dunno. I just felt tense the whole time, and we were watching the movie and a fight scene started and I just lost it. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I felt like my heart was going to explode so I beat it out of the theater.”

Michael said, “You had a panic attack.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Calum did not seem to want to look at him.  “He was cool about it. Talked me down. But I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

“Is it the first time it’s happened?” he asked.

Calum shook his head. “No, but it’s been the worst.”

Michael did not need to have a degree in psychology to understand that this was something that had likely stemmed from the death of his father. Calum had never had problems with anxiety before. He felt bad for not having realized just how much Calum was struggling. Michael cursed himself mentally for being selfish and wrapped up in his own problems while his friend tried to cope with the loss of his parent.

“Sort’ve sounds to me like the fight scene may have triggered it,” he mused. “Probably best to try and limit your exposure to stuff like that until you know how to manage it. Have you told Mali?”

“Nah. She’s so busy helping Mom and Luke. She doesn’t need to take on my problems as well.”

“Dude, she’s your sister. And your pack healer. That’s what she’s there for,” Michael reminded him. “You know she’s going to be upset if she thinks you didn’t trust her with this.”

“And it’s not that I don’t trust her,” said Calum. “It’s just that we’ve all been through so fucking much and I feel like everyone’s frayed around the edges. I can’t rely on everyone else to deal with my problems.”

Michael sighed and looked down into his cup. He wanted to choose his words carefully so he did not come across as harsh. But sometimes, Calum could be more stubborn than was necessary.

“You also can’t just rely on yourself, Cal. We are not lone creatures.”

Calum did not reply, and Michael glanced at him to find he was also staring into his cup. Whether his words had any impact on Calum, he was not sure. He hoped that they did. Michael hated to see Calum struggling like this. He hoped his friend let someone help him, sooner rather than later. Michael would only let it go so long before he went to Mali himself. He would take the brunt of Calum’s annoyance for being a nark as long as it meant he was getting the help he needed.

“Are you meeting Luke’s parents this weekend?” Calum asked.

The change of subject was a sharp turn, but Michael would let it go for now. He brought the mug to his lips and tested the cocoa. It was cool enough so he took a long drink.

“Probably not.”

“It’s probably for the best, Mike. After what happened last night, I really think that you and him need to spend less time together until he’s got this shit figured out,” Calum remarked. “He could really hurt you even if he doesn’t mean to.”

“I know,” Michael sighed. “I know. He’s been avoiding me since last night anyway. I’m trying not to take it personally, but he could at least text me and tell me himself that’s what he wants.”

Calum said, “He might not know that’s what he needs. Alphas are naturally dominant and it'll push him toward you rather than away from you.”

If Michael had not felt crestfallen before, he certainly did now. He knew Calum was just looking out for him, so he tried not to be irritated over the unsolicited advice. It irked a small part of him that Calum was clearly dealing with his own issues, but still felt like he could speak about another’s issues. Then again, people on the outside sometimes had the best clarity because their own emotions were not involved.

“I’ll talk to him after his parents leave. I don’t want to ruin his holiday.”

They finished their drinks and put their mugs and spoons into the dishwasher. Tomorrow was going to be an early day with all the cooking and preparation for Thanksgiving. Joy had insisted they keep their holiday tradition because it’s what David, and their other fallen pack members, would have wanted. She had invited Hannah and Olivia to join them since they had no pack and no family to share the holiday with.

Despite knowing they would regret it, Michael and Calum found themselves on the back deck looking up a the nearly full moon, comfortable in each other’s silence instead of sleeping.


	4. Chapter 4

The only way Calum could describe Thanksgiving was glum. Though the pack had come together, like they had every year since he was born, each of them could feel the losses they suffered threefold. The years before had always been full of excitement and noise. Everyone brought a dish to share and his mother had always made a large turkey that his father would carve at the table. When they were little, Calum and Mali would get excited over the prospect of the wishbone drying out so they could break it later as they made their wishes. It was still something they did to this day as adults even if they didn’t believe it would make their wishes come true.

As they had gathered around the table, his mother had asked him if he wanted to take care of the turkey. Calum had refused. He couldn’t bring himself to do it.

They ate mostly in silence, only snatches of conversation here and there that Calum did not participate in. When the meal was over, he helped clean up and pack the dishwasher before he joined the rest of his pack in the living room.

“Hey,” Hannah touched his shoulder gently before taking a seat next to him. “You doing okay?”

Calum shrugged. He was glad that his mom had invited Hannah and Olivia to join them since they no longer had a pack, but he didn’t know her well enough to call her a friend. Hannah didn’t seem put off by his indifference toward her.

“I know how difficult it is to lose your pack,” she continued. “Even though I’m not a werewolf, I still felt the loss. If you ever need to talk I’m here for you.”

He furrowed his brow as he looked at Hannah. Everyone told him the same thing; they were there for him, that he should talk about it. But Calum didn’t want to talk about it because it meant reliving the nightmare again. He wanted to take that pain and bury it so deep he never had to feel it again. Calum understood why she was offering to lend an ear. Hannah had been a healer for the Belmont pack before Dorian Belmont had slaughtered them. She had lost her pack, her husband and very nearly her child. Still, Calum couldn't bring himself to commiserate with her. It was selfish and he knew it.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Hannah offered him a small smile before she stood. “I have to go talk to your mom. I’ll see you later.”

Calum watched her go before he dug his phone out of his pocket to find Ashton had texted him. It was a simple “Happy Thanksgiving” but it gave him a warm feeling in his stomach. He opened his phone and quickly texted him back. He watched as three dots appeared then disappeared on his phone. Calum sighed and put his phone away.

He got up from the couch and made for the stairs, intent to get to his room so he could avoid everyone. He didn’t know where Michael was.

“Calum, hold up.” He sighed, stopping in front of his mother’s office. He peered inside the door that was slightly ajar to find his mom and Hannah sitting on opposite sides of her desk. “Can you get Michael and come here?”

“Sure.” Calum continued to Michael’s room to see if his friend was there, and he was glad Michael was so he didn’t have to go looking for him. He explained his mom was asking for them, and Michael followed him to her office. “What’s up, Mom?”

Joy Hood looked forlorn. “The Order received word last night that a pack in California was attacked by hunters. They aren’t sure how many survived, but they asked if I would organize a team to investigate. I thought the two of you might like to be part of that team. I’ve asked Hannah to go since Mali is already overwhelmed.”

Next to him, Calum could feel Michael tense. “Do you know what family?” Michael asked.

“We don’t,” Joy shook her head. “They were careful to cover their tracks, but there is always evidence left behind. Ashley will be going with you as well.”

“What about Luke and Ashton?” asked Michael. “Wouldn’t this be a good for them?”

Joy frowned and shook her head. “Right now, I think it’s best that Luke sit this one out.”

Calum’s eyes moved between his mother and his friend. He agreed with his mom that Luke was in no condition to handle this kind of situation. Part of him wondered if Joy asked Michael to go to put space between him and Luke. Still, he could see how Michael deflated at the idea.

“When do we leave?” he asked.

“Early tomorrow morning. You’ll be meeting up with a liaison from the Order.”

Calum wasn’t surprised. Whenever something like this happened, the Order were quick to handle local law enforcement and create a cover story. It was imperative if they wanted to keep werewolves a myth for the majority of humans. He was sure the Order has sent their people in as soon as they had heard and forced jurisdiction on the local agency. But that wasn't what he was concerned about.

It had been a long time since hunters had killed an entire pack. Dread formed in the pit of Calum’s stomach as he looked to Michael. It didn’t seem like a good idea to take Michael on this kind of mission.

“Can I talk to my mom alone for a minute?” he asked, looking from Michael to Hannah. He waited for the two of them to leave the room and close the door before he turned to his mother. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to send Michael with us? What if triggers something for him? And you know the Order hates him.”

“I already thought of that,” Joy said. “But I think he’ll be okay as long as you and Ashley are there. You know I would never put Michael in harm’s way, but he’s the only one of us that has any experience as a hunter. He knows things about how hunters operate that we don’t. You’ll need that.”

Calum frowned. “I know I just…”

“You’re worried. It’s understandable.”

That was an understatement. Calum tried not to treat Michael with kid gloves like he was made of glass, but he worried. He would always worry about Michael. Michael still hadn’t been able to transition from omega to beta. Now he had chosen to be part of Luke’s pack, which Calum thought was a terrible idea though he had not said as much out loud. It wasn’t his business. Not really. Michael was free to choose which pack he belonged to.

Calum hadn’t realized until that moment he somewhat resented his best friend for choosing a different pack. It was another problem he would shove down deep inside and attempt to bury.

“Cal,” Joy spoke, drawing his attention to her once again. “It’s going to be fine. _We_ are going to be fine.”

“I hope so,” he murmured.

He really, really wanted to believe her.

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

It took a little over eight hours to get from Eugene to Napa Valley with the one stop they took for food halfway between. Ashley volunteered to drive and Hannah sat up front with her to help navigate despite the fact they had GPS. It was quiet for most of the drive other than the radio which Hannah had set to some alternative station that played a lot of music from the late nineties and early two-thousands. Calum sat next to him in the backseat of the SUV, eyes closed and a pair of AirPods in his ears. Michael could hear only the faintest noise from them over the music from the radio.

He spent most of the trip with his head pressed against the glass of the window, letting his vision go blurry on occasion as they passed through miles and miles of rural area.

They had been briefed on the Lancaster pack the night before. They had been one of six packs in California and owned a vineyard in Napa Valley. The Lancaster family, and the pack by extension, had been philanthropists that were well loved by their community. They often donated to charities along the coast and held local fundraisers at their vineyard for various reasons. It made Michael’s stomach hurt to know they had been killed for no reason other than being werewolves.

But his stomach also hurt because he was afraid of what he would find when they got to the scene of the crime.

Just after Joy had told them about this mission, she had asked to speak with him alone, concerned he wouldn’t be up for it. She was worried it would be detrimental to him because of his past, and that the only reason she had asked is because he had been a hunter. She had given him the option to say no, but Michael had refused. He wanted to go because he didn’t want to keep running from his past. Maybe this would help him to move forward. He wasn’t sure. Michael also knew that he knew things about hunters the werewolves didn’t. He could pick things out they might miss.

The plan was to meet Agent Patton at a cafe just a few miles from the vineyard. They pulled into the parking lot and Hannah shut off the engine.

Standing near the door was a man in his early forties, wearing khakis and a dark blue polo shirt. A gun and badge were attached to his belt and he was talking to someone on his cell phone as they approached. Michael couldn't tell what the badge said, but it looked suspiciously like an FBI badge. When he noticed them, he said a quick goodbye to the person on the other end and put the phone in a clip holder next to his badge.

“You must be Joy’s team. I’m Sean Patton,” he said as he held his hand out to Hannah. Agent Patton shook hands with each of them before gesturing to the cafe. “Shall we?”

They five of them entered the cafe and settled into a large booth at the back of the dining area. A waitress came over with menus and asked for their drink orders. Michael ordered coffee with extra cream, and when it came he picked out all the white sugar packets from the caddy and dumped them into it. They ordered food even though no one seemed to be overly hungry and picked at it as Agent Patton explained what happened with the Lancasters and their untimely death.

“They had no enemies,” Agent Patton said. “The community loved them. They were lowkey and never caused trouble. There would be no reason for _anyone_ to go after them.”

Michael pushed his plate away and leaned against the table, shredding a straw wrapper just so his hands had something to do. “Sometimes people don’t need a reason. They just do it for the sport.”

Everyone knew they were talking about the hunters even if they couldn’t say so out loud.

“And you’re sure no one else knows about this?” Calum asked, his voice edged with an undertone of distrust. Michael couldn’t blame him after what had happened with Detective O’Brien.

“I’m sure. Of course, the Order has had to work to create a cover story and keep local law enforcement out of it. They weren’t too happy about giving up jurisdiction, but we manage when situations like this occur.”

“Then we should be able to take our time right?” said Hannah.

“Without anyone breathing down our necks, including you?” Ashley interjected.

Agent Patton held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, this is all you guys. I'm just a liaison this time. Joy said you have an ex-hunter to help out with this and since that isn’t my area of expertise by all means take the time you need.”

Michael frowned as Agent Patton’s eyes cut to him. He was sure the Order had nothing kind to say about him to anyone, least of all one of their own agents.

“We should get going,” said Calum. “We still have a lot of daylight we can use to get started.”

They paid their bills and piled back into the SUV. Ashley followed Agent Patton along he back roads that would lead to the Lancasters’ vineyard. They turned down a long driveway lined with trees on either side that eventually opened up to a well manicured lawn and large two-story villa style home.

Michael leaned forward in his seat for a better look. Already he could see the top of a barn behind the house and the distant sound of horses whinnying alerted him that the property had a stable and pasture.

They parked in front of the house and got out of the SUV. Agent Patton gestured for the four of them to follow him into the backyard.

“They were having a birthday party for Mr. Lancaster when the hunters ambushed them,” he explained. “The Order have already taken care of the bodies, and there were no survivors as far as we can tell.”

“Did they keep records?” Calum asked. “Pack records?”

Patton nodded. “We’ve collected them already. We’ve identified each body. Even the human ones.”

Michael winced. He was glad there was nothing more in his stomach than the coffee from the cafe.

Ashley asked, “Where’s the best place to start?”

“The barn at the back of the property. It’s refurbished and that’s where they party was being held. Good luck.”

Patton’s phone rang and he excused himself to answer it. Michael looked at each of them and it struck him that they were no longer his pack mates. He was part of Luke’s pack now. He felt strangely on the outside, like he didn’t truly belong anymore. Michael’s chest tightened at the thought. What if he had made a mistake in leaving his pack?

“Why don’t we split off into teams?” Hannah suggested. “Cal and Michael take the barn while me and Ashley check out the stables. Meet back here in an hour.”

“Sounds good,” said Calum. “Let’s go.” He gestured for Michael to follow him, which he did.

Together, they crossed the property toward the barn. Even before they reached the door, the metallic scent of blood filled his nose and he gagged. Michael reached for Calum to steady himself, and he could feel the tension rolling off of Calum.

“They took care of the bodies and left everything else,” Calum said. “How nice of them.”

“Probably didn’t want to mess with it too much. God, that smells like so much fucking blood.”

Michael wanted to stop Calum as Calum reached for the barn door and yanked it open. He held his breath as he followed his friend inside.

The lights had been left on, and Michael looked around in horror at the scene laid out before them. It looked like something out of slasher movie. Tables and chairs were toppled over, table cloths were stained a brownish red from dried blood. Blood had congealed on the rough cement floor and Michael could see patches of fur in them. There was blood spatter on the walls, and as Michael inched toward them he could almost see in his mind how it had gotten there. A sword, probably, if the perfect arc was anything to go by. Hunters all had their favorite weapons to use from guns to swords to bows and arrows. They made their own bullets and arrowheads out of silver, and those particularly talented in metal work made their bladed weapons. Michael had once known a hunter who used a Louisville Slugger baseball bat wrapped in silver barbed wire. It was one of the more gruesome ways to kill werewolves that he had ever seen.

Michael wasn’t sure what the Order was expecting him to find. He didn’t know every hunter family that existed any more than he knew every werewolf pack that did. He could only guess at the kinds of weapons they might prefer, but it looked as though the hunters had left little to be traced. Which was smart. It had long since been agreed that hunters would only hunt if they had a good reason. A birthday party for a well-loved citizen was not one of them.

This had been a massacre.

“See anything?” Calum asked from across the room.

“Nothing of value,” Michael replied. He was about to suggest they sweep the barn for any broken fragments of weapons when a small flicker of something shiny caught his attention.

Michael wended his way around fallen chairs and overturned tables toward the glint of metal stuck in the wall. He realized it was a stray bullet stuck in the wood of the barn’s wall. Michael pried the bullet from the wall curiously and turned it over in his palm. The craftsmanship was pristine, almost familiar to him.

“No,” he whispered as his heart began to race. “No, no, no.”

“Michael?” Calum’s voice was uneasy. “Are you okay?”

Michael ignored him as he began to toss chairs and tables aside, looking for the empty shell casing of the bullet. If they had left this behind, maybe they had been careless enough to leave that behind as well. Or maybe it had been left behind on purpose as a calling card.

He felt sweat run down his spine as he searched the floor, and finally caught sight of what he was looking for. Michael fell to his knees and reached beneath a chair to retrieve the bullet shell.

“Michael! What’s wrong?” Calum demanded.

Michael drew in a deep breath, but it did nothing to help his nerves as he looked at the symbol carved into the empty shell casing. He was absolutely sure he was right that this had been left behind purposely. Just for him.

Standing, Michael held the shell casing out for Calum to see the engraving on it. “Recognize this?”

Calum’s eyes widened. “No. Michael, no way.”

He wished he could deny it. He wished he could say he didn’t know what the engraving meant, but he couldn’t. Michael knew it almost as well as he knew himself.

It was his family’s crest. The same crest that had been on the necklace he had dropped into the river just weeks ago.

His father had been here.


	5. Chapter 5

Michael’s fingertips had burned from holding the silver bullet and shell casing, the skin blistering until Calum had wrapped them in a clean scrap of tablecloth he had ripped apart. Michael had barely noticed as anxiety crept up on him, threatening to consume him. They were only mere hours away from home and his father had been close. Too close. 

All sorts of horrible thoughts moved through Michael’s mind as they left the barn and walked toward the stables. What if his father found him? What if he found the pack? But the most frightening thing of all was the idea of his father finding out about Luke. 

Daryl Clifford would have no problem using Luke against him, and Michael could not allow that to happen. His father had already taken too much from him. 

“You okay?” asked Calum, his voice bringing Michael out of his own head. 

He nodded. “I’m fine. The burns are healed.”

“I didn’t mean your fingers.” 

Michael cast a sidelong glance at his friend and frowned. He wasn’t sure what Calum wanted him to say. No, he was not alright. Not by a long shot. But he couldn’t exactly fall apart when they had a mission to complete. 

Suddenly, Michael wasn’t so eager to get back to Eugene. He didn’t want to bring the threat of his father to either of the packs. 

Michael spotted Ashley and Hannah exiting the stables. They were too far away for either he or Calum to hear their conversation, but he could tell they were talking by the way their heads bent together. He hoped whatever they found in the stables wasn’t  nearly as horrific as what they had found in the barn. 

Just as they approached the two women, a strong breeze swept through the property, rustling the grass of the fields around them. Michael caught the scent of something. No, _someone_ . He stopped and turned toward where the scent was coming from. A few paces ahead, Calum stopped as well. 

“Do you smell that?” Michael asked. 

“Yeah,” replied Calum. 

They weren’t the only people on the property. And Michael knew it wasn’t the liaison from the Order because the scent didn’t match. His body stiffened as he pinpointed where the scent was coming from, his eyes falling on a small shed at the edge of the property. Whoever was hiding could potentially be dangerous and Michael felt the hair on the nape of his neck raise. 

“Michael,” Calum said in warning.

He was a second too late as Michael shot off across the yard and toward the shed. He could hear Calum and Ashley calling his name and ignored them. It struck Michael that he was being reckless, heading straight into what could possibly be a dangerous situation and he didn’t care. It occurred to him that whoever was in the shed could be one of his father’s clan, and that was all the more reason to dispose of them. Michael could only think that he hadn’t caught the scent earlier because of how much blood had been in the barn. 

Michael closed in on the shed when the doors burst open and a blur of a girl darted into the cornfield. Immediately he knew that this person wasn’t human. Hunters were fast, but they weren’t as fast as werewolves. The girl was moving too quickly, was too agile, to be anything but another werewolf. Michael grunted as he pushed forward, chasing her as they zigzagged through the field. If Michael was going to catch her, he was going to have to cut her off somehow. 

Running through the stalks of corn slowed him down, but the advantage was that it slowed down the girl as well. If they had been on flat land or even in the woods, the pursuit would not have even winded him. Now he ignored the burning in his chest as he banked left and tore through the stalks, off the beaten path, so he could take the opposite trail between rows. Michael pushed himself harder, further, until they reached the end of the cornfield into open land. He leaped at the werewolf and tackled her to the ground. 

A shriek left the girl as the two of them hit the ground, hard. Michael groaned as his shoulder connected with the packed dirt and jammed. He ignored the throb of pain as he struggled with the girl, who had her teeth bared and her claws out. She slashed at his face, and Michael only just dodged it. An infuriated growl left her as she wiggled beneath him, tried to bring her knee up between them to push him off, but he was still stronger. 

“Stop fucking struggling!” Michael yelled. He managed to roll the girl onto her back, and grabbed her wrists to pin them down on the ground on either side of her head. He pressed his knees against her thighs to keep her from kicking at him. “Who are you?”

“Get off of me!” she shouted, struggling to free her wrists from his grasp. “I’m not the enemy!”

“No?” Michael asked as he tightened his hold on her. He could feel the bones of her wrists grind together and the girl whimpered. He didn’t let up. “Tell me who the fuck you are and why you were hiding! Why did you run?”

“Michael!” 

Calum’s voice broke his concentration, and he looked over his shoulder to see his friend running toward him with Ashley and Hannah in tow. The distraction caused his grip to loosen just enough that the girl was able to free her wrists. The next thing Michael knew, her fist was connecting with his jaw. 

Michael’s head snapped sideways and the rest of his body followed as she shoved him away. He could taste blood in the back of his mouth and he groaned at the pain that lanced through his face. But it was only a second before he recovered and was on his feet, ready to tackle the girl again when Calum’s hand clamped onto his shoulder tightly. 

“Stop!” he commanded, his voice echoing through the field. 

Everyone immediately snapped to attention, recognizing Calum’s status as a stronger beta. Even the girl’s eyes were on Calum despite how weary her gaze was.

Michael spat blood onto the ground, ignoring the glare that Calum gave him as his friend stepped between him and the girl. The girl didn’t cower, lifting her chin and looking up at Calum who towered over her a good eight inches. Dirt caked her light brown skin and a little bit of blood showed at the corner of her mouth. Michael assumed it was from when he had tackled her. He wasn’t sorry. 

“Who are you?” he asked, his tone even. 

The girl looked at each of them before her eyes were back on Calum and she said, “My name’s Daviah Sparks.” 

Calum nodded. “Okay, Daviah Sparks, why were you hiding in the shed?” 

Daviah suddenly looked nervous, and Michael thought the girl was going to clam up as she wrapped her arms around her thin frame. Beneath the scent of her nerves, he caught something else; fear, worry and sadness. It was almost dizzying. 

The girl opened her mouth to speak and closed it again. She seemed to think about her words, choosing them carefully. Michael glanced at Ashley and Hannah to see his own curiosity reflected in them. 

“I-I have a message,” Daviah said slowly, and turned to face Michael. “For you. From your father.” 

Michael felt like the world was tilting and he sucked in a sharp breath. Panic clawed it’s way up his throat and he took a staggering step backwards. Someone touched his arm - Ashley, he thought - and he jerked away from her. 

A low growl formed in the back of his throat, and his eyes flashed a dangerous gold at Daviah. He shoved Calum aside, ignoring his friend’s protest, and took hold of the girl by the throat.  Daviah yelped as he shoved her back against the nearest tree, sharp canines flashing threateningly. The scent of her fear grew stronger, and it only enraged Michael further. 

“You’re lying!” he shouted. “Are you working for him? Has my father finally grown desperate enough to send werewolves to do his bidding?” 

Daviah gasped, her hands wrapped around his wrist and fingernails digging into the skin. Small beads of blood welled, but Michael didn’t even notice. The adrenaline and fear coursing through him made him numb. 

“Michael, stop!” Ashley pleaded as her hands tugged at his shoulders. “You’re going to hurt her!” 

Calum added, “Let her go now, Michael” 

He ignored them both. Michael’s focus was only on the girl pressed against the tree. 

He leaned in so his face was close to Daviah's, his voice low and threatening. “Tell me why you’re here or I’ll snap your fucking neck.” 

A sob tore from Daviah as his hand loosened against her throat only enough so she could speak unencumbered. Tears rolled down her cheeks.  “He killed my pack. This was my pack and he slaughtered them unprovoked. He left me alive because he knew you would come, and he wanted me to tell you that he’s coming for you. That he intends to finish what you couldn’t.” 

It felt like the air around them had been sucked away by a vacuum. Only the sound of their breathing and beating hearts could be heard. 

Michael attempted to suppress the shudder that went down his spine. “Does he know where I am?” 

Daviah shook her head. “I don’t know. He didn’t say. Please let me go.” 

“That’s enough, Michael.” Calum said as he stepped forward. He put a hand on Michael’s forearm. “Let her go.” 

Slowly, Michael released Daviah’s throat and stumbled back, her words ringing through his head like a storm siren. He shivered as he looked at Calum, then Ashley and then Hannah. He was a danger to all of them. He knew it. It had only ever been a matter of time before his father found him. Only a matter of time before he would start killing werewolves just to get to him. Michael felt bile rising in his throat. He had to get away. He had to run. 

“I-I have to be alone right now,” he said. 

Calum frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Calum, please don’t.” 

Michael watched as he and Ashley exchanged glances, communicating silently in a way only pack members could. They wouldn’t follow him because his temperament was too fragile. Calum sighed in resignation, gave a nod, and asked Ashley and Hannah to care for Daviah while he called his mother to update her on what they found.

He watched his friends walk away with the new werewolf and when they were out of sight, Michael punched the tree he had held Daviah against until the knuckles on both hands bled freely. 


	6. Chapter 6

“Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth as you change forms.” 

Luke breathed in as instructed, eyes closed, as he focused on changing forms from downward-facing dog to extended puppy pose. He thought there was some irony in the name of the yoga poses that Mali was taking him through, and he smirked faintly to himself. Mali had texted him that morning to ask him to join her by the river for meditation and yoga, and he had agreed. He had been a wreck since the last time he had seen Michael. And he only felt worse when he learned Joy had sent Michael on a mission with Calum that didn’t include him. 

Not that Luke didn’t understand why because he did. He was still struggling with his new alpha status, and he would have been an inconvenience at best and a liability at worst. Still, it didn’t mean he wasn’t agitated about it. And the wolf nature inside of him was thoroughly displeased with Michael being so far away. So he had taken every opportunity Mali had presented him with to train and meditate. 

It felt good, being able to stretch and balance his chi the way she taught him. The wolf inside had grown quiet, almost as if it were snoozing. Luke would have to learn to keep it that way until it was absolutely needed or the full moon forced it out. If he could figure it out then his life would be much less chaotic. 

“Child’s pose,” Mali instructed. 

Luke changed forms. 

For several minutes they stayed like that, the rushing sound of the river beyond the ledge their natural soundtrack. 

“Come up into Hero pose, and then finish with ease pose.” 

He moved through the motions, and when they reached ease pose, Mali gave him a smile. 

“You did good,” she said. “How do you feel?”

“Surprisingly calm,” said Luke. 

“That’s exactly what I was hoping for. You’ve been very vigilant with your training. I’m proud of you.” 

Luke couldn’t help the satisfaction he felt in the pit of his stomach and he smiled at Mali. Truly, she was a blessing to her pack and to him. If not for her, Luke didn’t know how he would have gotten through the last several weeks. 

“Thank you,” he said finally. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

Mali laughed softly. “You would have because deep down, you’re a good person. It concerns you, doesn’t it? Becoming like Dorian.” 

Luke winced faintly. Sometimes, he wondered if Mali could read minds. But no, she was just able to read emotions and part of Luke’s emotional turmoil lately was exactly what she said. He was terrified that as an alpha he would become power hungry and tyrannical like Dorian. 

“I guess. We were family after all.”

“Yes,” Mali nodded. “But you were not nurtured the same way Dorian was. Just because you share blood doesn’t mean you will become like him.” 

Luke knew that Mali was right, but the worry it caused only ebbed slightly. He had lain awake at night, staring up at the ceiling and trying to figure out what exactly it was that had made Dorian who he had become. That part of his family was still a mystery. A mystery that Luke had been too cowardly to try and solve. The very idea had caused such intense anxiety one night that he’d woken Ashton from a dead sleep as he hyperventilated. Ashton had been able to calm him down, and Luke had tried to put the Belmonts out of his head since then. 

“I just want to avoid becoming like Dorian as much as possible,” he confessed. 

“Well,” Mali said slowly. “Sometimes the only way to ensure that you don’t become the thing that you fear most is to face it.” 

Luke raised an eyebrow. “But Dorian’s dead.” 

“Yes, I know. But Hannah is not. Hannah was their healer and I’m sure she knew Dorian quite well. If you want to know about that part of your lineage, you should ask her. She can help you,” Mali explained. 

It hadn’t occurred to Luke that he ought to speak with Hannah about Dorian, to learn what he could about the Belmonts. Asking his parents was completely out of the question, and his brothers knew little more than he did about them. Hannah and Olivia were the only surviving members of the Belmont pack, which meant Hannah was his only lifeline. 

“I’m afraid of what I’ll learn,” he said. 

“The path to self discovery is never easy,” Mali said gently. “But eventually it’s a path we must take.” She reached across the small space between them and squeezed his knee reassuringly. 

Luke offered a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. She was right. He was the only one in control of his destiny. If he wanted to be a good person, a good alpha, then he needed to stop being a coward. 

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


By the time it was dark, Michael had not yet returned. They had not planned to drive the several hours back to Eugene so Calum found a small motel not too far from the property they were investigating and booked two rooms; one for him and Michael, and one for the three women. He had texted Michael to let his friend know where they would be and what their room number was for when he was ready to come around. It could take all night, but Calum knew he had to be patient. 

After the incident near the woods, the werewolf girl was visibly shaken and Hannah had stepped up to comfort her. They had ascertained little information from Daviah so far, and Hannah said to give her time because she was still in shock. Calum had called Joy to inform her of what they had found and about Daviah. He was not surprised when his mother told him to bring Daviah home with him. They would offer her refuge until she was ready to leave and seek another pack, or become part of the Hood pack. Joy told him she would take care of informing the Order about Daviah. Calum felt a wave of relief at this, thanked his mother and hung up the phone. 

With Ashley, Hannah and Daviah settled into their motel room, Calum offered to find a store to pick up food and drinks. He also told Daviah that he would pick her up a toothbrush and whatever else she needed until they could get her belongings. Ashley had a spare outfit that she thought would fit the girl. The rest of his cart was filled up with snacks and a few various beverages for everyone to choose from. 

Calum’s phone beeped as he loaded the bags into the SUV and he reached into his back pocket for his phone. It was a text message from Ashton asking if he was okay. 

For a long moment, Calum simply stared at the message. He thumbed open the phone and began to type a message, then changed his mind. He deleted the message and hit the call button instead. He closed the hatch of the SUV and leaned against it as the phone rang three times before Ashton answered it. 

“Cal?” 

“Yeah, it’s me. How are you?” 

Ashton paused. “I’m okay. How are you? How’s the...thing going?” 

Calum realized that he had been holding so much inside of him since that morning that when he opened his mouth, everything they had found came rushing out of his mouth like a dam breaking. He told Ashton about the Lancaster pack being slaughtered and how the barn had looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie. Calum went on to tell Ashton about the bullet and shell casing and learning that Michael’s father and his clan were responsible. Lastly, he told Ashton about Daviah being the only survivor and that he was bringing her back to Eugene at his mother’s request. 

Ashton had been silent the whole time, listening, and when Calum was done a long pause stretched between them. 

“Say something,” he murmured into the receiver. 

“I’m not sure what to say,” Ashton admitted. “I wish I was there with you so I could help.” 

Calum closed his eyes and drew in a shaky breath. For some reason, it was always easier to be brave when you weren’t looking at someone. “I’ve been unfair to you. I know I’ve been pushing you away and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. It just...with my dad gone I feel like everything is wrong. I’ve always been afraid of losing the people I love, and that night my worst fear came to life. I don’t know how to handle it. I just feel so sad and so afraid all the time.” His voice grew tight and unwanted tears streaked down his cheeks. 

“Cal, you don’t have to apologize. I understand.” Ashton paused. “But I hope you know that I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you. I’m not going anywhere.” 

“I know. I know that, but it doesn’t take away the fear that something horrible is going to happen to you.” He sighed. “We never know when something’s going to happen to us and I know that. It can’t be predicted, but promise me that you won’t run head first into dangerous situations.” 

“I promise,” Ashton said automatically. “I know things have been tough, but when you get back I want to come see you okay?” 

Despite Ashton not being able to see him, Calum nodded. “Okay. That sounds good.” 

“You sure you’re okay?” 

“Yeah. I gotta get going thought. They’re waiting on me at the motel.” 

“Call me if you need anything,” said Ashton. “And text me as soon as you get back.”

“I will.” Calum waited for Ashton to hang up first before he turned his phone off and slid it back into his pocket. 

Strangely, he felt lighter. Like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. And the knowledge that Ashton wasn’t angry with him, that he wanted to see Calum, lifted his spirit just a little higher. 

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

By the time Michael made it to the motel in town where Calum had texted they were staying, it was nearly three in the morning. His knuckles had since healed from taking out his aggression on the tree, and he had eventually sank to the grassy floor of the woods, his back against the rough bark. Michael had held his phone in his hands with the text message screen between him and Luke up, casting a soft glow over his face as the sun began to sink behind the trees. He contemplated texting Luke, but every time he started to type a message he would delete it. He didn’t know what to say. 

Luke knew who Michael was, where he had come from, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t that small amount of shame inside of him. 

Weeks ago he had tossed his family’s crest into the river. The last token that tied him to his past. It had felt like a relief at the time, a new beginning. Michael had finally felt free of his father. 

But it had all been an illusion. He was silly to think something as stupid as tossing away a pendant would truly free him from his past. 

Finally, he shoved his phone back into his pocket and began the trek from the vineyard toward the motel. 

Michael didn’t rush to get to the motel. The chill night air cut through his clothes but he barely felt it. Not because of his unusually high body temperature, but because he felt numb. He also felt a little paranoid. Every sound had him looking over his shoulder, but he was glad to be alone in case his father suddenly showed up. Michael hated the idea of his friends becoming collateral damage. 

It felt like a sick game Daryl Clifford was playing. A game of cat and mouse and Michael was very much the mouse. It struck him how utterly ridiculous that was considering he was a werewolf. An apex predator. And yet when it came to his father he felt like prey. Michael wasn’t naive enough to not realize that it was still that deep seated sense of wrongness that made him feel that way. Though he had become better at balancing those two natures, he would always have this struggle. 

Years of being told he was weak did little to bolster that confidence Mali was always trying to pull out of him. 

The motel was small though even in the dark it looked well kept. Michael was glad Calum hadn’t chosen some pay by the hour place that stank of mildew. He walked around the back of the motel where a large black gate encased a swimming pool. The sign posted on the gate stated the pool was only open until 10 p.m., but the underwater lights were on, casting a greenish glow over the figure of a girl. Michael picked up on her scent and knew it was the girl they had found at the vineyard, Daviah.

The girl noticed him at almost the same time, and Michael froze suddenly, unsure of how to proceed. He could ignore her, of course, and continue onto the room he was sharing with Calum. But something told him that he owed this girl an apology. It wasn’t her fault that his father had murdered her pack and left her alive. Nothing at all was her fault. Michael had treated her like the enemy when she was a victim. 

The gate creaked as Michael opened it and walked around the edge of the pool to where the girl sat with her legs hanging over the edge, feet in the water. She wore a blue tank top and pajama shorts he recognized as Ashley’s. 

“Hey,” he said lamely.

Daviah looked up at him with a frown and said nothing. She looked back out over the water, dismissing him. 

Michael shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and pressed his lips into a thin line. He didn’t blame her for not wanting to talk to him, but he was going to try anyway. He needed to apologize. Not only for her, but for himself. And maybe, selfishly, he wanted to learn what the girl knew about his father. 

He walked to the edge of the pool and sat criss cross next to her. Michael had no desire to stick his feet into the cold water. He toyed with the hemp bracelet around his wrist, a gift that Calum had given him a few years ago on Christmas. He wasn’t sure where to start. 

A long silence stretched between them, the only sound the buzzing of street lamps overhead and crickets in the distance. It was an uncomfortable silence and tension wound its way around Michael the longer they sat stewing in it. 

“I’m sorry,” he said finally. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” 

“Yeah?” Daviah cast a sidelong glance at him. “Good thing we can heal fast because I’m pretty sure you almost broke my wrist. Oh, and snapped my neck.” 

Okay, so she wasn’t going to accept his apology that easily. Michael drew in a breath. “Seriously, I didn’t mean it. You ran and I wasn’t sure if you running because you were an enemy or what. How was I supposed to know?” He tried not to sound too defensive. 

“I ran because a group of strangers wandered onto the vineyard right after my entire pack was murdered. Sorry if I wasn’t exactly forthcoming or trusting.” 

She had a point. Michael clamped his mouth shut and considered his next words carefully. 

“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” he said slowly, “but I still wanted to apologize. What I did wasn’t right and I know it.” Michael ran a hand over his face. “I knew my father was responsible even before we found you in the shed. I found one of his bullets. He left it like a calling card. But I guess that wasn’t enough so he left you alive.” 

He could hear the waver in his voice, and he paused to draw in a steadying breath. So far, he hadn’t looked at Daviah because she was a reminder of what was truly going on; that his father was baiting him. It wouldn’t be long before Michael walked right into a trap, accidental or not. 

“I’m sorry for what my father did to you and your pack. No one should have to go through that. He’s a horrible person and it’s because of me that he did this. It’s my fault.” His throat was tight and he felt tears prick the back of his eyes. He forced them back because he refused to be this vulnerable in front of a perfect stranger. Michael cleared his throat and when he spoke again, it was much steadier. “So yeah...that’s all I had to say.”

Daviah didn’t respond right away, and Michael glanced at her. He could see her thinking about what he had told her, mulling it over in her head. Finally, she said, “It’s not your fault. You didn’t do this and you didn’t force him to do this. I can take a pretty good guess as to why the two of you are at odds, but the fact he wants to torture you this way. Well...he’ll get his comeuppance one day, and I intend to be part of it.” 

There was something strangely satisfying about her words, and a faint smile touched Michael’s lips. They had a common enemy. Daviah didn’t have to say it out loud for Michael to realize what she was after: vengeance. 

Something dark unfurled inside of Michael. Suddenly, he realized that running from his father was only going to fan the flame. He needed to be proactive in his own life. Create his own destiny. Michael wanted a world where he didn’t have to fear his father harming him or the people he loved. He wanted a life of simple joy with Luke. 

If Daryl Clifford wanted to try and take that from him, so be it. Michael would take the fight to him. 

And Daviah wanting to exact her vengeance as well made her the perfect cohort. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello darlings! Just in case anyone was curious on the pronunciation of Daviah's name, it's pronounced DAH-VEE-AH. :)


	7. Chapter 7

The first thing Luke noticed about Daviah LeRoux was how beautiful she was. Midnight black braids fell down her back and her heart shaped face was complemented by big brown eyes. The top of her head only came to his shoulder, which meant she had to look up at him when they were introduced. Daviah’s skin was a soft brown that hinted at being biracial, and there was a swatch of freckles that dotted the bridge of her nose and across the tops of her cheeks. She didn’t wear makeup, but she didn’t need to. Daviah was naturally attractive. 

The second thing Luke noticed about Daviah was that she hardly spoke a word to anyone but Michael. Since the group had gotten back, Michael had spared him only a few moments and a quick kiss before he was trailing after Calum and Daviah to be introduced to Joy. Coupled with how the two of them seemed quite cozy at the end of the table, their heads bowed together as they spoke softly irritated him. Even worse, it irritated the alpha inside of him. 

Ashton sat next to him on a stool at the breakfast bar of the kitchen talking to Mali. Luke tried to focus on the conversation with them, but his attention kept drifting to Michael and Daviah. So far, he had learned that Daviah was only eighteen. She had just graduated from high school this past year and had been several weeks into a nursing program when her pack was attacked. Michael seemed content to listen instead of really talking about himself. 

He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help it. Luke had spent the last several weeks struggling when it came to Michael and he felt like Michael had brushed him aside. There was a spark inside his chest that was very much jealousy, but he tried to ignore it. Luke had no reason to be jealous. He loved Michael. Michael loved him. End of story. At least he believed they loved each other. He knew he loved Michael even though they hadn't said those exact words to each other. Now he was questioning their relationship along with who the hell this girl was. 

The two of them suddenly got up from the table and walked outside. Luke’s body was in motion before he realized it. The alpha’s annoyance was piqued with Michael so close and yet completely out of reach. It was less than pleased with the presence of Daviah, and Luke tried to tamp down the swirling feeling that she was a threat to his territory. 

“Michael, wait.” Luke reached out and grabbed his elbow, forcing Michael to stop. “Can I talk to you?” 

Daviah looked between the two of them, but Luke paid her no attention. 

“I’ll wait by the tree house,” she said. 

“I’ll be there in a few,” Michael replied. When she walked away, he turned to Luke and raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?” 

“What’s up?” Luke blinked at him, a little incredulously. “What’s up is that you’ve been back an entire day and you’ve barely said two words to me. I’ve gotten the story about what happened in Napa Valley from everyone other than you.” 

Luke wasn’t trying to sound accusatory, but his brow was knit and the hurt was evident in his voice. The alpha huffed inside his chest, irritated with what it perceived as weakness from him. He was an alpha that wasn’t acting like one. Luke curled his hands into fists at his sides, flexing his fingers as he wrangled the alpha nature while attempting to keep his exterior collected. 

Michael sighed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t intentionally ignoring you. Everything’s just been really crazy and I’ve been trying to wrap my head around it.” He gestured in Daviah’s direction. “She’s our main priority right now.” 

“Is she?” Luke said. “Why?” 

“Because she was the only one left alive, which means she has the most information on the Lancaster pack.” 

Luke wasn’t buying that. There was something else going on that Michael didn’t want to tell him. He could see it in the way Michael’s lips tightened imperceptibly and his heartbeat kicked up a notch. 

“What are you really planning, Michael?” 

Michael's eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about? Why are you being paranoid all of a sudden?” 

“I don’t trust her,” said Luke. “We don’t know anything about this girl and yet the two of you seem to have become the best of friends overnight. You’re up to something and it involves her.” 

A short burst of laughter came from Michael and he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter if you trust her or not. She and I have a common enemy and she understands it. Which is something you can’t understand, Luke.” 

Luke felt like he’d been slapped, the sting of Michael’s words burying deep in his chest until his heart ached. Despite the hurt, there was a small voice in the back of Luke’s mind that reminded him Michael was right. He couldn’t understand how Michael felt about this situation because it was not something he had ever experienced. But he had experienced betrayal and uncertainty. He had experienced being thrust into a world he hadn’t even known existed. Luke tried not to take Michael’s words so personally, but they still hurt. 

“Just because I don’t understand doesn’t mean I can’t be there for you,” he said quietly. 

Michael frowned and shook his head. “I know that, but right now I need you to let me figure this out. Okay?” 

Luke opened his mouth to protest but closed it just as fast. What could he possibly say? Michael didn’t want his help, didn’t want him around, and he wasn’t going to force himself some place he wasn’t wanted. The alpha growled, disagreeing completely with Luke’s decision to back off. The alpha wanted him to stake his claim on Michael, show the new beta that Michael belonged to him. Luke swallowed thickly as his fingernails bit into the skin of his palms until blood welled. 

“Okay,” he muttered. “If that’s what you want.” 

“That’s what I want,” said Michael. 

Luke watched him walk away and head over to where Daviah leaned against the trunk of the tree house, arms crossed over her chest. He knew that she could have heard their conversation despite the distance between them and it vexed him just that much more. Luke eyed the woman wearily, the distrust he had felt earlier swirling in the pit of his stomach. 

Turning on his heel, Luke headed back into the house in search of Ashton. They would find out just who Daviah LeRoux was together. 

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

Earlier in the day, Calum had asked Ashton to stick around once everything had calmed down and wait for him in his room. He had nodded and when Joy had finished with the impromptu meeting where they had met Daviah, Ashton lingered on the edge of the pack and then slipped up to Calum’s room. 

Ashton left the door to Calum’s room slightly ajar and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. But he was too anxious for that and stood up again. He paced the room, his mind going in about one hundred different directions. Why had Calum asked him to hang around? Why had he asked him to wait in his room? A few months ago, Ashton might have thought it would bring something good. Now he wasn’t so sure. 

“You’re going to wear a track in the rug.” 

He jumped, spinning around to find Calum leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest and a small smile on his lips.

Ashton had been so caught up in his own thoughts he hadn’t heard Calum sneak up on him. He blew out a breath and laughed softly to hide his nervousness. 

“You shouldn’t sneak up on me like that. My fragile human heart might not make it next time,” he joked. 

“Bullshit,” Calum replied. “You’ve got one of the strongest hearts I’ve ever known.” 

Ashton could feel himself flush at those words and he tried to still his racing heart, which he was sure Calum could hear. 

Calum pushed himself off the door frame and closed the door behind him. He moved to sit on the end of his bed and gestured for Ashton to join him. They sat in silence for a long moment, and Ashton tried not to stare at his friend but he couldn’t help it. For weeks it felt like Calum had been so far away from him despite being geographically close. He tried not to think about the last time they were this close, when Calum had come to find him and kissed him until he was breathless. Ashton felt terribly selfish for thinking about kissing when Calum was still dealing with the loss of his father and fellow pack members. 

“Cal I-” he was cut off by a press of a finger to his lips. Ashton blinked at his friend, confused. 

“Shh. I don’t want to talk right now,” Calum murmured. 

Ashton stiffened as Calum replaced his finger with his lips, unsure at first whether he ought to stop him or kiss him back. His mind told him to break the kiss, to ask Calum what he was doing, but his body urged him to let it happen. 

His eyes closed and he returned the kiss, lips parting to allow Calum’s tongue to slip past them. A soft groan left him as their tongues met and Calum’s fingers wove into his hair, keeping him close. This kiss felt different from their first, which had been almost desperate with a tinge of fear. This kiss was seeking something akin to comfort and possibly something else, but Ashton couldn’t quite put his finger on it. 

Calum broke the kiss several moments later, drew in a breath, and smiled at him faintly. “C’mere.” 

Ashton sucked on his bottom lip, tasting the remnants of that kiss as Calum shifted higher up on the bed. He crooked a finger, beckoning Ashton to join him and Ashton’s body moved without conscious thought. He crawled up the bed and his mouth met Calum’s again, a hand moving to rest against his waist. But his friend had other plans, and Ashton gasped when Calum suddenly shoved him back onto the mattress and straddled his waist. 

Calum’s mouth crashed into his, parted his lips in demand, and Ashton gripped Calum’s hips tightly. He could feel his body start to respond to the heat that grew between them. Calum’s body was pressed to his, pelvis against pelvis, and Ashton could feel both of them growing hard. Calum sucked on his bottom lip, nipped at it playfully, then released it in favor of trailing wet kisses down the front of his throat. He let his head fall back, a moan slipping from him and his eyelids fluttered. He felt Calum’s hands slide beneath the hem of his shirt, his fingers warm against his skin. Ashton hissed faintly as Calum’s teeth scraped the skin just below his ear, and he tilted his head to the side to allow him more room. 

He knew he should tell Calum to stop. Not because he didn’t want this because oh, he very much did. But he wanted to make sure Calum was initiating this kind of intimacy for the right reasons instead of the wrong ones. It was hard to not to just let things happen, to not fall into the desire he had for his friend. Desire he’d felt for such a long time that Ashton was afraid if he pumped the brakes now, he’d never experience it again. 

“Cal,” he murmured. “Calum, stop. Wait.” 

Calum drew back like Ashton had burned him, his forehead creased and his eyes confused. He didn’t look angry, which Ashton was grateful for, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“What’s wrong?” Calum asked. 

“I just...need a minute. Don’t you think we should talk about this?” 

“Talk about what?” 

Ashton gestured between the two of them. “This. Us. What we’re doing.” 

A groan left Calum, and he flopped to the side to lay next to Ashton. Ashton turned on his side and propped himself up so he could look down at him. Calum’s face was flushed, the scent of arousal hung thick in the air, but he seemed to be content to stare at the ceiling. 

“I’m sorry,” Ashton said. “Are you mad?” 

“No,” Calum said quickly. “Of course not. I should be the one apologizing. I should have asked if it was okay to do that first. I just...I want to be with you, Ash. In all ways possible.” 

Ashton was silent for several seconds, letting those words and what they meant sink in. It was what he had wanted for a long time, and now that he was on the precipice of being with the person he loved, it terrified him. He swallowed down that fear because there was a small voice in the back of his mind that told him life was too short to be so afraid. Ashton needed to seize the opportunity and show Calum that he was completely and utterly his. 

He leaned down and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to Calum’s mouth. He smiled when it was broken. “I want to be with you too, Cal. I have for a really long time now. I’m ready for everything, for all of it.” 

“Thank fuck,” Calum said. 

The two of them broke into laughter that soon dissolved into a flurry of kisses and whispered sweet words. Ashton kissed Calum in a hundred places, taking his time to familiarize himself with the taste and scent of Calum’s skin as their clothing went missing piece by piece. Ashton always thought he’d be nervous when it came to a first. He wasn’t a virgin, and he knew Calum wasn’t either, but he did know this was the first time either of them had been with another guy. But instead of nervous, Ashton felt confident because it felt good. It felt _right_. 

They fit together like pieces of a puzzle, the tight heat of Calum’s body wrapped around his own nearly overwhelming. It took all of his concentration to keep the steady rhythm their bodies had naturally set, and when they came it was together in a burst of light and pleasure that Ashton wanted to drown in. 

It was over too soon. Ashton lay against Calum, breathing heavily and exhausted. He didn’t even mind the light layer of sweat on each of their bodies. 

He pressed his forehead against Calum’s gently, eyes closed, and when he could form words he said softly. “I love you.” 

Calum responded first with a soft kiss. “I love you, too.” 

  
  
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

Michael’s stomach churned with unease as he moved to sit on one of the swings attached to a large tree branch by thick ropes. The seats were wood, well worn by the changing seasons but they were sturdy. Daviah joined him and took up residence on the second swing. They were quiet for a moment, each of them apparently lost in their own thoughts. Michael didn’t like not telling Luke the whole truth. Not just because he was now technically part of Luke’s pack, but because Luke was his boyfriend. But he knew that if Luke figured out what he was planning, he would try and stop Michael from doing it. Besides, he couldn’t - _he wouldn’t_ \- allow Luke to get caught up in the crossfire of a fight that wasn’t his. 

“Everything okay?” Daviah asked. Michael shrugged. “Your boyfriend doesn’t like me much, does he?” 

He cut a sideways glance at her and shook his head. “It’s not that. He doesn’t know you. He’s new to being an alpha so the whole territory thing is something he’s still working on.”

“And he thinks I’m a threat to what’s his?” 

“He’ll figure it out.” It wasn’t exactly an answer, but it was the best Michael could give her for the moment.

Daviah smirked. “I don’t know whether I should feel flattered or not.” 

Michael rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, maybe don’t let him know that.” 

“How long have you guys been a couple?” she asked. 

“A couple of months.” 

“Ah,” Daviah mused. “New alpha, new relationship, new pack. No wonder he’s feeling protective. He must think I’m going to steal you away.” 

Michael laughed. “You can only steal someone if they want to be stolen. I definitely don’t.” 

Daviah seemed to consider this for a moment. “Why aren’t you telling him the whole truth if you guys are dating?” 

Michael frowned and tilted his head back so he could look up at the sky. It was a colorful pallet of pink, orange and purple as the sun began to set on the horizon. It was getting colder, but he hardly felt it at all. He wasn’t sure how much he should tell Daviah about his relationship with Luke. It didn’t have anything to do with finding his father and neutralizing the threat. But if they were going to work together they needed to trust each other. 

“It’s not that I’m trying to keep things a secret. I just know he’ll try and stop me if he knows we’re planning on going after my father. I don’t want him caught up in this mess. It’s my fight. Not his,” he explained. 

“ _Our_ fight,” Daviah corrected. 

“Right,” Michael nodded. “Our fight.” 

“I think you’re right to keep him on a need to know basis with this. The less people who know, the easier it’ll be to get the job done quietly.” Daviah’s face contorted. Michael could see the rage simmering just beneath the surface. “And we don’t want to risk anyone telling the Order about this plan. That’ll just make things even messier.” 

Michael wholeheartedly agreed with that. “Yeah, well...the Order aren’t my biggest fans anyway.” 

“The Order is useless. It doesn’t allow us to defend ourselves when necessary,” Daviah growled. 

Admittedly, Michael hadn’t thought of it that way. The Order was in place to protect werewolves from being discovered and hunted by humans. Their rules mandated that killing out of revenge was not tolerated and that issues with hunters, should they arise, were to be brought to them to be taken care of. But Michael didn’t think a slap on the wrist was going to stop his father from hunting him down and killing innocent people in the process. Michael had no doubt that Joy had already informed the Order about his father and his clan, or that the Order would take too long to take care of the problem. He intended to beat them to it. 

It was his burden to bear. His problem to solve. 

“So when do we get started?” he asked. 

Daviah’s grin was satisfied. “As soon as possible."


	8. Chapter 8

Winters in Oregon were far different from winters in Michigan. So many weeks out of the year, the grounds of his home state would be frozen solid with three inches of snow on top of it. In Eugene there wasn't snow, but rain. Lots of it. Ashton pulled his coat more tightly around his body as he ran through the terrible weather toward Walton Hall, trying to avoid puddles of water along the way. Not that it mattered because he was already soaked. He cursed the fact his class let out just before the sudden torrential downpour. It's not like he was actually smart enough to carry an umbrella with him, even though it had been overcast all day, clearly threatening rain. No, his dumb ass had assumed he'd make it back to the dorm before it started. 

To Ashton, it didn’t feel like the Christmas season was upon them. Sure, Christmas stuff had been put out in stores and businesses had decorated. Even some of the doors of their dorm hall had been decorated with Christmas paper and window clings taped to them. Someone had even put a giant cardboard cutout of Santa Claus in their window, which was honestly freaky as hell when it was late and you caught sight of it walking back from work or class. Someone had erected a Christmas tree in the student lounge of the dorm hall, but Ashton found himself missing the idea of snowball fights with his siblings. Of waking up early to Harry bouncing on his bed because there were presents under the Christmas tree, waiting to be torn into. He missed their morning tradition of hot chocolate and annoying Christmas music as they opened gifts. When he was young, his mom used to pass out gifts with a Santa hat on and a cheap plastic necklace of blinking Christmas light. Now it was his job to pass out gifts, though he refused the blinking necklace. Then they would face the bitter cold and snow to go to his grandparents house for more gift exchanges and a big Christmas dinner. He reminded himself that he would be going home in a few weeks and they could make all the snow angels and snowmen they wanted, and he could stuff himself silly with Christmas cookies and other baked goods Lauren had been teasing him with through text messages.

Ashton’s shoes squeaked on the polished tile floor of the common area, echoing through the relatively quiet room and it made him cringe. He was grateful when he finally made it to his room and could change into dry clothes. He was soaked to the bone and shivering. 

Once inside, he tossed his bag on the floor and slid out of his shoes so he didn’t track water through the room. It was a small enough space as it was. Luke was sitting at his desk, eyes glued to his laptop screen and earbuds in his ears. Ashton walked up behind him and plucked one from his ear, startling him. 

“Jesus, Ash. Don’t sneak up on my like that,” he fussed. 

Ashton grinned and let the earbud flop over Luke’s shoulder. “What are you looking at? Homework stuff?” 

“No,” Luke shook his head. “There’s articles about the Lancasters. Who they were to the community, stuff about the vineyard and what they’re going to do with the property, that sort of thing.” 

Ashton stripped out of his wet clothes and balled them up before tossing them into his hamper. He pulled on a pair of sweats, a tank top and a hoodie. Lastly, he put on dry socks and moved to sit on the edge of his bed. 

“Why are you looking into them?” he asked. 

“Because I think it’s...interesting that Daviah was the only surviving member of the pack and yet no one seems interested in her. Not the police, not the Order. No one. If she was part of the Lancaster pack, why wouldn’t the property go to her? There’s literally no information on her.” 

Ashton frowned. “That doesn’t really mean anything though. I doubt everyone knows all about Calum’s pack. People go under the radar sometimes. What’s the big deal?” 

Luke turned to him, his brow furrowed. “The big deal is that I don’t trust her. Something isn’t right.”

“You don’t even know her,” said Ashton. “You’re not usually someone that’s quick to judge or make assumptions, Luke. How do you know something’s wrong?” 

“Call it a gut instinct.” 

“Are you sure it’s that? Or are you jealous because she and Michael seemed to have gotten cozy.” 

Luke’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Ashton cocked his head to the side, waiting for his retort. Instead, Luke rubbed a hand down his face and sighed. 

“I knew you were going to ask me that. I’m not jealous,” Luke said. “I have no reason to be jealous. Michael’s not interested in Daviah. Not romantically at least. He seems to think Daviah can help him with the issue of his father.” 

“Help him how?” Ashton asked. Even though Michael didn’t talk to him all that often, and certainly didn’t trust him with secrets, he knew Michael’s father was a storm cloud that constantly followed him around. He remembered the night they had first learned Michael had been a hunter in Joy’s office, how Michael had been run out of his clan because he had been bitten and turned. “Like emotionally? Because if that’s the case it makes sense. They share a similar trauma by the same person.” 

Luke shook his head. “I don’t know how, but it worries me.” 

Ashton wasn’t sure if Luke was telling him the truth. He knew his best friend had been struggling with the alpha inside of him. He knew that possessiveness and jealousy could be heightened where an alpha’s partner was concerned. Even so, it was human nature to be jealous at times. It wasn’t anything to be ashamed of. Luke was not normally a paranoid person, but so far Daviah had not given anyone a reason to distrust her. 

“Look, if it’s worrying you that much then just talk to him about it. I thought you guys were solid,” said Ashton. 

“I thought we were, too, but maybe not.” 

He hated when Luke looked so down. It was like looking at a kicked puppy. No pun intended. 

Reaching out with his foot, he kicked his best friend playfully. “Stop brooding. It’s not a good look on you. Not to be a dick or anything, but with the whole alpha thing and learning to deal with that maybe now isn’t the time to worry about relationships.” 

Luke’s eyes cut to him and he pressed his lips into a thin line, like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure what. 

Ashton rushed on, “I just mean that you struggle the most when you’re with Michael so maybe it’s a good time to take a step back and just try and work on you. We’re going home for Christmas and the last thing we need is for you to like...freak out and try to eat the neighborhood children.” 

“Shut the fuck up,” Luke scoffed, though a small smile formed on his lips. “If I’m going to eat anyone it’s going to be you so I don’t have to listen to you babble in your sleep anymore.” 

“Hey, I have great intellectual conversations in my sleep. You should be so lucky to have a private audience with me.” 

Luke laughed, and shook his head. “Poor Calum.” 

At that, Ashton perked up. “What do you mean poor Calum?” 

“Don’t play dumb,” Luke retorted. “I know you two slept together the other day. I could smell it all over you.” 

Ashton’s face felt hot all of a sudden. Luke laughed, confirming that he was indeed blushing. He found the nearest thing he could throw at Luke, a book, and did so. Luke dodged it easily. 

“What?” he said. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Actually, it’s about time. I wasn’t sure I could take anymore of your moping about it. So are you guys, like, official now?”

Ashton sighed and leaned back against the wall next to his bed. “I don’t know. Calum said he wanted to be with me in every way possible so yeah...I guess we are.”

Luke pretended to vomit, which got another book to be thrown at him that he dodged. Dammit, Ashton was really beginning to hate werewolf reflexes. “Knock it off, you asshole. This is serious!”

“Okay, okay.” Luke held his hands up in mock surrender. “I was just messing with you. I’m happy for you, Ash. Really. You guys were made for each other. I guess I’m kinda surprised you didn’t tell me.” 

“I didn’t purposely keep it from you,” Ashton said. “I just had the feeling that maybe things might not be so great between you and Michael and I didn’t want to rub it in your face that things with Cal and I were on the up.” 

The flicker of sadness in Luke’s eyes caused Ashton’s heart to twist, but his friend shook it away and got up from his seat. He came to join Ashton on his bed, leaning his back against the wall as well. Using a fist, he thumped Ashton’s knee gently. 

“Listen, just because things might not be going great in my love life doesn’t mean I’d begrudge you yours. I really am happy for you, Ash. This isn’t one of those if I’m not happy you can’t be either situations. You’ve been into Cal for ages. This is a good thing. Michael and I will either work it out...or we won’t. But that doesn’t affect you and Cal at all. Don’t dim your happiness on my account.” 

Ashton smiled, “Thanks Luke. That means a lot to me.” 

“Hey,” Luke said. “I’m your best friend. Only a really shitty friend would want you to be miserable.” 

Despite knowing that, and appreciating that Luke wasn’t holding a grudge, Ashton still felt like it’d be shitty on his part to rub it in his friend’s face. He was happy. He wanted to shout from the rooftops that he was happy with Calum and totally in love with him. He knew Luke would let him do that if he wanted, but for now he was going to keep that happiness to a dull roar. At least until Luke and Michael figured themselves out. Ashton really hoped they did.

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas flew by. Luke had done absolutely no Christmas shopping for his family, but it had been intentional. He didn’t want to weigh down his luggage with gifts to fly. It was expensive enough just to check in one bag, let alone more. He had; however, done a little shopping for Michael. 

Before Thanksgiving, he and Ashton had come across a secondhand music and bookstore where he had found a pristine set of Queen’s entire discography on vinyl. When Luke had learned they were the original release vinyls, he’d bought them immediately, knowing Michael would love them. One of the things they had bonded over throughout the weeks they had been dating was classic rock. From Queen to the Eagles to Aerosmith and Def Leppard. He had been excited to give it to him since he’d bought it.

Now as he entered the Hoods’ home through the sliding glass doors at the back like usual, some of that excitement had dimmed. Between school, work and the impending holiday they hadn’t seen much of each other. Luke tried not to think about the fact that Michael had been spending time with Daviah, and his one relief was that Daviah wasn’t attending the same college as them. The campus was his safe space. But Michael spent most of his weekends at home, which was why Luke was there now. 

He said hello to Mali as he passed through the living room and inquired about Michael’s whereabouts. His room. Luke went up the stairs and paused at the end of the hall, focusing his hearing on the space around him. He wanted to make sure Michael was alone in his room before he knocked. Luke was relieved to find he was. 

Luke had been contemplating asking Michael to come home with him for Christmas, but he hadn’t because he felt it might be too soon. Their relationship was still new, and that was a lot to ask of someone you had only been dating for four months. 

He knocked on the door and entered when Michael hollered for him to come in. Luke closed the door behind him and smiled at his boyfriend. 

“Hey,” he said simply.

“Hey,” said Michael. 

“I wanted to bring you your Christmas gift since I'm leaving tomorrow for home,” Luke said, holding out the package wrapped in green gift wrap with little snowmen on it. “I’m shit at wrapping though.” 

Michael laughed softly and took the gift, gesturing for Luke to sit down with him. “It doesn’t matter how it looks. It’s the effort that counts.” 

The two of them fell silent as Michael tore open the wrapping paper to reveal the collection of vinyls. Luke heard him suck in a breath, and for a moment he was afraid Michael didn’t like the gift. That it had been a stupid idea. Did he even have a record player? 

Luke was on the edge of panic when Michael leaned forward and kissed him, long and deep. Automatically, Luke’s hands cupped Michael’s face, and he tilted his head slightly for a better angle. It was the best kiss they had shared in awhile. 

When it was broken, Michael leaned his forehead against Luke’s and closed his eyes. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I love it.” 

“I saw them and knew you had to have them,” Luke replied, equally as soft. 

Michael chuckled quietly and kissed him once more. “Hang on. I have something for you as well.” 

He got off the bed and Luke watched as he rummaged through a drawer in his desk, producing a package wrapped in red tissue paper. Michael carried it over to the bed and sat down again, holding it out to Luke. 

“It’s not nearly as cool as Queen vinyls, but I hope you’ll like it anyway.”

Luke removed the tissue paper to reveal a book. A leather bound journal. When he opened it, he found that almost all of the pages had writing on them. He looked up at Michael, confused as to what he was holding. 

“It’s my journal,” Michael explained softly. “When I first came to the Hood pack, it was...really hard for me to get through the day. Mali asked me to keep a journal, have a private space to pour all of my thoughts because it would help. It did help. After a year, I didn’t need it anymore even though the struggle was still there. It was better, easier. I want you to have it because I want you to know me, Luke. I want you to understand me and the things that have happened to make me who I am. I know you don’t always understand the things I do, but I think if you read this then it’ll help. It’s a piece of my soul. Something I’ve never shared with anyone, but I want to share it with you because you’re important to me. The most important person to me.” 

Luke didn’t know what to say. His throat felt tight and his eyes stung, like he was going to burst into tears at any moment. That would be embarrassing, so he drew in a breath and blinked them away. 

He cupped a hand around the back of Michael’s neck and drew him into another deep kiss that lasted for several seconds. 

“Please trust me,” Michael whispered against his lips. “I need you to trust me with this.” 

Luke wasn’t sure what ‘this’ meant entirely, but he found himself nodding. “I trust you, Michael.” 

Deep down, Luke realized that he did trust Michael. He trusted that Michael cared for him, that Michael was happy with him. He trusted that Michael knew what was best for himself. 

He just couldn’t bring himself to trust Daviah. 


	9. Chapter 9

Luke’s parents and Ashton’s family were at the airport to pick them up; they were met with tight hugs and about a hundred questions. Ashton’s siblings clung to him like he would disappear if they loosened up their grips even the slightest. Luke could tell Ashton was happy to be home with them for the holiday. His best friend had struggled with leaving them behind for college, and Lauren had kept in touch every day since Ashton’s kidnapping. They had to spin a very careful tale about how Ashton’s phone had been messed up and he hadn’t realized it until Lauren had called Luke. He knew Lauren didn’t believe it. Hell, he wasn’t sure AnneMarie did either but they didn’t push. 

They separated in the parking garage of the airport and Luke stowed his suitcase in the trunk before sliding in the backseat of his mom’s SUV. It was a forty minute drive from the airport in Detroit to their home in Rochester Hills, where Luke and Ashton had lived their whole lives. The vehicle was filled with chatter, mostly from his mother, and Luke answered at the right times. But he was distracted as he rested his head against the cool glass of the window and watched the city go by. His phone was in his hands and he glanced down at it every two minutes to see if there was a text message from Michael. Nothing yet. 

He found himself wondering what the werewolf packs were like around Michigan. Were they all as familial as the Hood pack? He couldn’t help but think that he was ending up as such a failure as an alpha. But maybe it didn’t matter because he didn’t really have a pack. Did only two people count? Luke wasn’t sure. 

Ashton had encouraged him to try not to think about all the craziness in their lives at college and enjoy the holiday. Luke didn’t know if that was possible though he was going to try. He could just be normal again. 

They stopped at their favorite pizza restaurant where Ben, Jack and Jack’s girlfriend, Celeste, joined them. They shared two dozen garlic knots and two large pizzas with extra cheese and too many toppings. For the first time since the night he had bitten, Luke felt like maybe everything was going to be alright. The alpha inside of him hunkered into the recesses of his mind, almost as if it were snoozing. Luke was one hundred percent okay with that. 

By the time they got home, it was dark and Luke dragged his suitcase up to his bedroom and left it by the door. He flopped on his bed and buried his face into his pillow, breathing in the familiar scent of laundry detergent and fabric softener. His mom had used the same stuff for as long as he could remember. It was comforting and Luke realized he had missed home far more than he had realized. 

A knock on his bedroom door, which he had left ajar, drew his attention across the room and he sat up on the bed. Jack and Ben barreled into his room without asking permission first and joined him on the bed, taking a seat on either side of him. 

“How’s it going, Lukey?” Ben asked, slinging an arm around his neck. “Things alright?” 

“Mom said you were kinda quiet on the way to the restaurant,” Jack added. 

Luke shrugged. “There’s just been so much going on it’s like I don’t know how to talk to them anymore. When they ask how everything is I have to lie when all I really want to do is tell them the truth. I’ve always been a bad liar.” Guilt had always eaten him alive when he’d tried to lie to his parents as a kid.

“Yeah, you’ve always sucked at it, but it isn’t like when you crashed your bike into the side of Dad’s truck, you know? This is something Mom and Dad have tried to protect us from our whole lives,” Ben frowned. “You know you can talk to us though, right?” 

“Yeah, I know that.” 

“When’s the next full moon?” Jack asked. “Do we have to worry about you wolfing out or anything?” 

Luke shook his head. “I’ll be back in Eugene by the time it comes around again. You don’t have to worry about that.” 

“Good. How’s Ashton dealing with all of this after he was kidnapped?” 

“Honestly, he’s been more worried about Calum than anything,” Luke said. “I think it’s distracted him from really dealing with what happened.” 

“Well,” Ben interjected, “it’ll catch up to him at some point. I think this break will be good for you guys.” 

Luke couldn’t argue with that. While he was home he could just be normal, regular Luke. Not Luke the werewolf. Not Luke the alpha. Just Luke. 

Jack bumped into him roughly, knocking him into Ben who echoed his grunt of protest. “What’s with that Michael dude? You two seemed pretty into each other. You got a boyfriend, little brother?” He grinned mischievously at Luke. 

“Shut up,” Luke retorted, feeling his face grow hot. “It’s none of your business.”

“That’s as good as a yes,” Ben laughed. “Our little Lukey is all grown up now. Even got himself a boyfriend.” 

His brothers made swoony faces at him until Luke punched them both in their arms. He immediately regretted it because the next thing he knew, he was shoved off the bed and the two of them piled on top of Luke, leaving him gasping for breath as they wrestled him. 

“Boys!” Liz yelled from the bottom of the stairs. Wrestling matches had been a regular occurrence before they had all gone off to college. “Quit before you come through the floor!” 

Jack and Ben rolled off of Luke and the three of them lay on their backs, laughing. It was like old times again and Luke was grateful to have his brothers here with him. Despite being giant pains in his ass, he knew they would always have his back at the best and worst of times. 

“Just let your new dude know that if he fucks with you, he’s going to get the ass whoopin’ of his life,” said Ben. 

“You’re gonna go up against a werewolf? Good luck.” 

“There are worse things that can be done than physical fights.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Both of you shut up and let’s play video games. I think Dad’s got ice cream stored in the deep freeze in the garage.” 

“I call the Rocky Road!” Luke jumped up and dashed out of the room, his brothers thundering down the hall after him. 

  
  


─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  
  


Lauren and Harry wasted no time in persuading Ashton to join them outside to make snow angels and build a snowman. Lauren had already gathered all the essentials for not only a snowman, but a _snowwoman_ as well. Old hats, scarves and gloves from when they were younger, buttons for eyes and noses, coffee beans for a mouth, and the most perfect sets of twigs to use as arms. Ashton had asked their mom to join them, but she had declined with the excuse she wanted to cook dinner. His favorite food, which was lasagne. Ashton thought she just didn’t want to be out in the cold. 

The snow angels were first. Ashton helped Lauren and Harry out of there’s to avoid a hand print in the middle of them, but his own angel had not fared the same. Oh well. They weren’t perfect but he didn’t care. It was the fun that mattered. Then, they started rolling big balls of snow to create their snowpeople from the backyard to the front yard where the snowpeople would be on display. Ashton stacked the medium and small snowballs on top of the biggest ones that served as bases. Next, they dressed the snowpeople in the hats, scarves and gloves and gave them button and coffee bean faces. When they were finished, the three of them stood back to admire their work. They were glorious snowpeople. 

“I’m going to get hot chocolate,” Harry announced. His cheeks and nose were a bright red from the cold. 

“Bring us back some,” said Lauren as Harry ran off. Ashton wasn’t sure if he had heard her. 

Once Harry was out of hearing range, Lauren turned to him and frowned slightly. Guilt immediately washed through Ashton and he stared back at her, the silence between them laced with tension. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Aren’t you happy to have me home?” 

“Of course,” she said. “But I also know that you’re hiding something. I know your phone wasn’t broken, Ash. I may only be eleven, but I’m not stupid.”

No, she was not. Ashton hated it when people underestimated Lauren, so he wanted to kick himself for doing the same. 

“What happened, Ash?” 

A deep sigh left him and he wrapped his arms around himself as if it would protect him against the memories of those few nights he had been locked up and tormented in the root cellar of Dorian Belmont’s property. Ashton never wanted to appear weak so he never talked about the nightmares he had from that night, how he was a lot more jumpy these days and felt like he had to constantly look over his shoulder. Calum’s grief over his father dying had been a good distraction for Ashton, and he felt like a complete asshole for that. Of course he cared about Calum - he loved Calum - but it had been easier to focus on Calum’s wounds than his own. In a group of extraordinary people, Ashton knew he had to be more than what he was so he wasn’t the weakest link. So he had shoved down the fear and paranoia that had been cultivated by that experience and focused on solving everyone else’s problems. Just like he had always done. 

Once upon a time, his mother had struggled with alcoholism and working two jobs just to support them. He had been conditioned to put his needs second to the needs of his siblings. Even after things had gotten better, Ashton had kept that role as the caretaker to other people. Offering all of himself to everyone else and ignoring his own emotional wounds. He was trying to rectify that, but being kidnapped had been like taking ten steps backwards. 

“There’s some things that are going on that you might not understand, Laur. Hell, I don’t even understand them. Not completely. But you’re right, my phone wasn’t broken. I got into some trouble.” Ashton explained. He could see the concern flash through Lauren’s eyes. “I was hurt pretty bad by someone, but Luke helped me. He saved me.” 

“I knew it,” she murmured, her voice thick with tears. “I knew something bad had happened because you never miss phone calls or text messages.” 

Ashton’s chest felt tight and he reached for his sister, drawing her into a tight hug. He placed a kiss on top of her head, though his lips met the cotton fabric of her pink beanie. “Don’t cry, sis. I’m fine. Really, I’m okay. The bastard got what he deserved in the end.” 

Lauren’s head rested against his chest and she sniffled faintly. “I’m glad you’re okay. I’m glad they got theirs for hurting you.” 

“Me too.” 

“What happened to Luke? He’s different. I could tell when I saw him at the airport.”

Ashton stiffened for a moment, wondering just how much truth he ought to give her. She may only be a kid, but he trusted her. “You can’t tell mom, okay?” 

When she swore she wouldn’t, Ashton explained what happened the night of the party near the woods, how Luke had been bitten and they had discovered a whole world within their own they thought only existed in fiction. Ashton told her about Calum and his family, their pack and Dorian Belmont and his alpha pack. He told her about being kidnapped and the fight between packs, that Calum’s father had been killed along with several others. He told her about how Luke had become an alpha too soon and that he was struggling with it. And finally he told her about how close he and Calum had become though he left out the details not meant for children. 

When he was finished, Lauren looked as though she were trying to process all the information she’d been given. Ashton shifted nervously, the cold finally biting through his coat and gloves. They needed to go inside before they ended up with frostbite. 

“So, werewolves are real?” she asked. Ashton nodded. “And Luke is a werewolf and an alpha because he bested this Dorian guy, who is also a relative of his that he never knew about because his parents left that life behind.” 

“Right.” 

“And Calum is also a werewolf and his mom’s the alpha of their pack who is helping Luke get through this and training you to be a healer.” 

“Yep.”

“So now you’re part of Luke’s pack along with this Michael guy, right?” 

“Correct.” 

Lauren blew out a breath and blinked several times. “Okay, I think I’ve got it all straightened out. It’s a good thing I can tell when you’re lying because if you were right now...I’d punch you right in the balls.”

Ashton laughed in surprise. “Okay, so first, don’t say balls. Second, I would never lie to you about something like this but I’m trusting that you’ll keep it to yourself. You can’t tell Harry because he can’t keep a secret to save his life.” 

“Do you honestly think I’d tell that punk?” She looked offended. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you.” Ashton gave her a gentle squeeze. “I knew I could count on you.” 

“Just promise me you’ll try and be safe. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Ash.”

He felt his heart sink into his stomach and he frowned at his sister. “I’m gonna be fine, Laur. I promise. Don’t think about anything less, okay?” 

She nodded. “I’m trusting you.”

Before he had a chance to reply, the front door banged open and Harry hollered from the house that dinner was ready. Ashton turned a cheerful smile on his sister. 

“Let’s go in. I’m starving.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized there was a continuity error in the last chapter because I'm a dweeb. Ashton's narrative talked about him and Luke being from Wisconsin instead of Michigan as originally stated. This was because I had initially thought about Wisconsin being their home state before choosing Michigan because it's a state I'm actually familiar with. I'm so sorry about that, guys! If anyone sees errors like that in the future please don't hesitate to let me know! Thanks so much! <3 <3


	10. Chapter 10

Christmas morning dawned bright and cold. Calum had been awake since before the first light touched the horizon. Not because he had wanted to be, but because tradition required it. Calum had laid in bed for as long as possible, scrolling through his phone and catching up on local news. More articles about the Lancaster family, but no new leads in the massacre. The connections the Lancasters had with Napa Valley’s law enforcement must have been ironclad to keep things as calm as they were. When he  finished with that, he sent a text to Ashton to tell him he missed him and Merry Christmas. They had exchanged gifts before Ashton had left to go home for the holiday. He hadn’t expected Ashton to answer as quickly as he did, and when Calum inquired as to why he was up so early, Ashton explained it was because his siblings had roused him to open gifts. Calum hadn’t taken into consideration the time difference. 

Finally, he forced himself out of bed and got dressed. Christmas at their residence was always busy and full of people. Many of their pack members had little or no family at all, so they spent the holidays with them. Those who did have families would still drop in to share time with them. Hannah and Olivia would be joining them as well, and despite their losses this year, they had decided to keep the tradition alive. It was what his dad would have wanted, what their packmates would have wanted. Even so, the holidays had a heaviness to them they hadn’t had before. Just like Thanksgiving, Christmas didn’t feel the same. 

His mother and sister were at the kitchen table with plates of toast and fruit and steaming cups of tea. Calum joined them for a moment though he found he had no appetite. Mali shoved a plate of food at him anyway, insisting that he should have something in his stomach before preparation for the day began. Calum and Michael had been assigned to digging a pit in the backyard for a pig roast. They were supposed to have finished it last night; instead they got drunk off of the mistletoe laced moonshine that Cameron and Dante had been working on for ten years and finally perfected a few months ago. They distilled it in the barn at the back of the property. Luckily, their fast metabolisms left them free of hangovers the next day which Calum was grateful for. 

He picked at toast and fruit until Michael trudged into the kitchen, eyes sleepy and a beanie pulled over his messy blond hair. He grunted a good morning at the three of them and grabbed a cup of coffee, drinking it black and like it wasn’t hot at all. Then, he and Calum made their way outside to where the pit was to be dug up. It only took them an hour to dig the pit, assemble the cinder blocks and racks and light the fire underneath. Once the pig was on the rack, they placed sheet metal on top of the cinder blocks to deter other animals from getting at the pig. It would take several hours for the pig to roast and they had agreed to take turns handling it. The rest of the pack would contribute dishes customary to their own traditions. They were also barbecuing chicken, shrimp and prime rib because it was tradition in New Zealand to have a barbecued meal on Christmas. Calum wished he could have grown a _pōhutukawa_ tree for his mom, but they didn’t live in the right climate for it in Oregon.

All in all, the different cultures that made of their pack ensured they had one hell of a feast for Christmas. 

A few hours later, before everyone else arrived, his family (Michael and Ashley included) exchanged gifts and watched old Christmas movies while they cooked and took turns checking on the pig. Hanna and Olivia were the first to arrive, and Olivia went straight for Mali and Ashley who had gotten her way more gifts than really necessary. But secretly, Calum thought it was the right thing to do because Olivia had lost her father as well. Calum couldn’t imagine being so young and dealing with that loss. Maybe it would have been easier. Children were surprisingly resilient. 

Throughout the rest of the day, people came and went, feasting on the smorgasbord of food and drinking copious amounts of eggnog. But Calum noticed that one person in particular was missing: Daviah. When Calum inquired about her to Michael, his friend told him he had tried to get her to come down, but she refused. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. If the wounds Calum and his pack carried were still healing, he knew Daviah’s must be still bleeding. 

Grabbing a plate, Calum loaded it up with food. He didn’t know what Daviah liked so he chose a variety of different things, avoiding anything that even he thought was too weird. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and ascended the stairs, pausing at the end of the landing to listen. The last thing he wanted to do was barge in on her if she was crying. Calum always felt particularly awkward around people when they cried because he never felt like he had the right words to say. Thankfully, Daviah didn’t seem to be weeping so he proceeded down the hall to the spare room where she had taken up residence the last few weeks. 

Calum knocked on the door and waited for Daviah to open it. When she did, he offered a small smile. “Thought you might be hungry.”

Daviah looked to the plate of food he held out to her and stepped back to allow him into the room. She took the plate and sat on the edge of her bed though she made no move to eat any of it. Calum set the bottle of water down on the nightstand and took a seat on the desk chair across from her. 

“Thanks,” she said. “I would have come down, but I just...can’t deal with all of that right now.”

Calum nodded. “I get it.” 

“Do you?” 

“Yeah. A few months ago, my dad and several of our packmates were killed during a fight with Dorian Belmont and his alpha pack.”

“Oh,” Daviah looked stricken for a moment. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed.” 

“It’s okay,” said Calum. “Grief is...something I would not wish on my worst enemy. They say time makes it easier, but I don’t know if that’s true.” 

Even though he had come to terms with his father’s death, with the loss of his pack and decided to look forward instead of backward, Calum still felt the rawness of grief. He thought that maybe it would always be there, a dull ache in his heart that never truly went away no matter how much time passed. Calum knew, deep down, that true happiness could be achieved again. He just had to reach for it, grab hold of it and not let go. Ashton was helping him with that in ways his boyfriend didn’t even realize. Just being the light at the end of Calum’s very dark tunnel was enough. 

“When do you think the Order will want to talk to me?” Daviah asked.

“I don’t know,” said Calum. “After the new year, I imagine.”

The Order had contacted Joy a week ago, informing her of a pending visit to their home in order to speak with Daviah. The Order never gave them an actual time or date for when they would be coming. They showed up when they liked, which Calum found particularly inconsiderate and vexing. His mother, ever patient as she was, took their lack of manners in stride. Calum wasn’t sure he would ever be as patient as Joy Hood. 

“I don’t know what they expect me to tell them,” Daviah continued. “I only know what I’ve already told your mom. Nothing more or less.” She picked at the stem of the strawberry on her plate. 

“They do this to make sure alphas aren’t filtering information because they’re a bunch of paranoid old people with god complexes,” he groused. Daviah smirked faintly and Calum mirrored the expression. “Don’t worry about it.” 

“Well, if you don’t think I ought to worry about it then I guess I won’t.” 

“Good.” 

Silence fell between them, and though it wasn’t necessarily awkward, Calum knew it was time for him to take his leave. 

He stood from the chair and knocked his knuckles on the surface of the desk. “You sure you don’t want to come down?” 

Daviah shook her head, long braids swaying around her face as she did. “No, thanks. I’m just going to stay up here.” 

“Okay. Just be sure you eat something, yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Daviah gave him a mock salute. “Thanks again.” 

Calum offered another small smile before he left the room. 

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


Michael would have been happy to skip New Year’s Eve altogether. It was supposed to be a night of reflection from the past year, of looking forward to a bright future in the next year to come. But he had no taste for such frivolity because there had not been one year where Michael hadn’t struggled or a had reason to look forward to anything. The one bright spot was that Luke would be home in a few days, but he was glum over the fact he wouldn’t be able to kiss his boyfriend at midnight. It was petty, of course, and Michael felt ridiculous for being upset about it. He couldn’t help it. He missed Luke. 

They had kept in touch, of course. Mostly through text messages and through FaceTime when Luke could get away from his nosy brothers, but it wasn’t the same as touching him or curling up in bed with him. Calum had offered to commiserate with him since Ashton was also absent, but Michael had slipped up to his room just before midnight and thrown himself onto his bed.

He grabbed his phone and texted Luke, but he wasn’t expecting to get a response. More than likely, Luke was celebrating with his family or with Ashton and their old friends. A streak of paranoia lanced through him. What if Luke was kissing someone else at midnight tonight? What if he wasn’t even thinking about Michael? He shook his head and cursed himself mentally for being stupid. If there was one thing that Michael was very sure of, it was that Luke cared about him. Still, he would have liked to talk to him. He settled for sending him a text telling him Happy New Year. 

There was a knock on his door and Michael grumbled at the person to come in. He looked over his shoulder to find Daviah leaning against his door frame. 

“What’s up?” he asked, sitting up. 

“I don’t feel much like celebrating,” she said. Daviah walked into the room and sat down on Michael’s bed across from him. “Are you up here sulking because your boy toy is gone?”

Michael glared at the girl. “I’m not sulking and he’s not my boy toy. He’s my boyfriend.” 

“Right, of course.” Daviah waved a hand dismissively. “Relationships are so complicated, aren't they?”

“Because _humans_ are complicated. Isn’t that part of the fun though?” 

“Depends on your idea of fun.”

Michael smirked. “Luke and I hated each other at first. Okay, well...that’s not totally true. I kind of hated him.” 

Daviah asked, “Why?” 

“No real reason,” Michael shrugged. “Because I hate everyone at first? It’s kind of a defense mechanism.”

“I noticed.” 

“Hey, I apologized for almost killing you.” 

Daviah laughed. “It’s cute that you think you could have. Is that your male ego rearing its ugly head?” 

“I don’t have an ego,” Michael retorted. 

“If you say so.” Daviah leaned back on her palms, her head canted to the side. “The Order is coming to talk to me in the next few days. I think it’s time for me to split and start looking for your father. Are you coming?”

Michael hesitated, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth. He wanted to go with her, to look for his father and rid himself of the albatross around his neck. But this was a mission that was not at all going to be endorsed by Joy. If they were going, it would have to be with false pretenses. It wasn’t fair for him to lie to Joy when she had done so much for him, protected him instead of throwing him into the lion’s den. He also couldn’t stand the idea of any of them getting tangled up with his father. If they could find his father and take care of him and his clan before anyone figured out what they were up to, before Luke came back, then that was all the better. And if they could find him before the Order, Michael could exact the vengeance that belonged to him and him alone. He didn’t say it out loud, but Michael had no plans of letting Daviah deal the final blow. He had no intention of letting _anyone_ deal it other than himself. 

“Yeah. Let’s leave tomorrow before the rest of the pack wakes up.”

The way Daviah grinned, the thrill that was alight in her eyes, sent a shiver down Michael’s spine. It was as though she was excited about the idea of hunting down his father and ripping the life out of him. 

Michael wasn’t sure what he’d agreed to with Daviah, but if the end result was his freedom then he didn’t care to question it. 


	11. Chapter 11

_Two and a half years ago..._

Pain lanced through his side and he gasped, hand moving to the wound in his side as he tried in vain to stanch the bleeding. His shirt was soaked in it, the coppery scent of it in his nose and made him wretch. How had he let this happen? He had been stupid. Careless. He had been arrogant because for some reason he had gotten it in his head that he was invincible. Stupid stupid stupid. It had come around to bite him in the ass, almost literally. 

The ground beneath his feet was covered in dead leaves and vegetation, crunching beneath his feet. Tree roots rose up from the dirt and while he would normally be careful to avoid them, his vision was blurry from the pain. The toe of his boot caught on a root and he stumbled only just managing to right himself before he fell face first into the ground. He groaned and reached out a blind hand to find anything close by that he could lean on. His fingers touched the rough bark of a tree and he stopped, doubled over and panting from the pain and the exertion of running. He pressed his back to the tree, sliding down it to sit on the damp ground. His chest rose and fell heavily as he tried to gain control of his breathing, the wound in his side throbbing. 

Michael didn’t want to look at it. He didn’t want to see what the damage was, but he forced himself to look anyway. His hands shook as he pulled the ruined material of his shirt away from the wound and a strangled sob left him as he took in the damage. The skin was torn and there was a burning sensation he couldn’t quite place. He broke out into a sweat and his stomach flipped. He felt like he was going to be sick. If only he had been faster, he could have killed the thing before it had bitten him. 

Carefully so as not to agitate the wound, he stripped off the t-shirt he wore over a long-sleeved shirt and balled it up. It was ruined from being torn and bloody, but it would have to do for now. He pressed the fabric to the wound and hoped it would stop the bleeding until he could get somewhere safe to see to the wound. 

But what worried him more than bleeding out was the fact he had been bitten in the first place, and that it was either going to kill him or turn him. He had to keep this a secret. No one could know that he had been bitten. He prayed to whatever god existed that he made it through this because the alternative was something he didn’t want to think about. 

It felt like hours before he made it home. By some stroke of luck no one appeared to be home and Michael slipped through the house, not bothering to turn on any lights, and up the stairs into the bathroom. His hands wouldn’t stop shaking, but he somehow managed to get his clothes off and get into the shower to wash the blood off of him. Michael turned the faucet on as hot as it would go, wincing as it burned his skin. No matter how hot the water was though he was still shaking. 

The blood turned a pinkish color as it mixed with the water and swirled down the drain of the tub, and when Michael was sure he had gotten the blood and dirt off of him completely, he turned the shower off and got out. Thankfully, the bite had stopped bleeding, but the sight of the destroyed flesh made him feel sick once again. He closed his eyes and drew in a few deep breaths. Michael had no idea when his father was going to be home. He had to get this taken care of quickly. 

He grit his teeth as he cleaned the wound, the burn of the soap and antiseptic causing him to groan in displeasure. If he could just get his hands to stop shaking! 

Michael bandaged the wound and found some painkillers in the medicine cabinet that were prescribed to his dad, but he didn’t care. He swallowed them dry and then went to his room to get dressed. He returned to the bathroom when he was done to gather the torn and bloody clothes on the floor.

Painfully, Michael made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. He found a black garbage bag and stuffed the clothes into them. He would have to burn them later so his dad never found them. For now, he would hide them in the shed until he could get to them later. It felt like time was closing in on him. 

He went through the sliding glass door out into the backyard where the shed was located just a few hundred feet from the deck. It was cold out and Michael shivered as he opened the shed and found a space in the back to shove the garbage bag. Headlights came down the driveway just as he closed up and locked the shed, and he hurried back into the house. If he could make it up to his room without seeing his dad then he could figure all of this out. 

Michael drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down and breath like a normal human. Just in time as well because as he turned the corner into the dining room, he almost ran right into his dad. 

He gasped and took a step back, his eyes coming up to meet his father’s skeptical gaze. Everything inside of Michael wanted to run the opposite direction, worried that his dad was going to just know what happened. He felt his heart racing triple time. 

“What’s wrong with you?” Daryl Clifford barked. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.” 

Michael swallowed and shook his head. “Nothing. Just tired.” 

“Tired, huh?” Daryl snorted derisively. “You don’t know what tired means, boy.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Did you take care of what you were supposed to?”

“Yes, sir.” 

“Any problems?”

“No, sir.” 

His father looked at him for a long time, like he was searching for any kind of tell that would tip him off that Michael was lying. Michael’s chest felt tight and his heart had leaped into his throat. He had spent many years learning how to lie to his father, to hide those tells the man was looking for. Ever since Isabelle, Michael had known that his emotional and mental longevity depended on honing his talent for lying. 

“Good,” Daryl said finally. “If you’ve got homework go do it. I’ve got things to do so I won’t be home for dinner. I assume you can take care of yourself?” 

Michael tried not to rise to the occasions. His father was looking for a fight, trying to bait him into mouthing off so he had an excuse to backhand him. He wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction. 

“I’ll be fine,” he said, jaw tightening as he reined in his rage. 

His father grunted something he didn’t hear as he pushed past Michael and into the kitchen. Michael breathed a sigh and made his way upstairs as quickly as he could without aggravating the wound in his side. 

When he reached his bedroom, he closed and locked the door and looked into the mirror hanging on the back. His face was pallid, and dark circles had formed under his eyes looking like bruises. Michael turned slightly and lifted his shirt so he could slowly peel the medical tape from his skin that held the bandage in place. The wound was no longer bleeding, and he had done his best to clean it. But that didn’t take away the knowledge that he had been bitten by a werewolf. 

It was the worst thing that could happen to a hunter. If any of his clan found out, they would turn their backs on them. They would expect him to right the wrong that he had allowed to happen. 

A shudder worked down his spine as he covered the bite mark and let his shirt fall back into place. 

Michael crawled into his bed and buried his face into his pillow. He screamed into the stuffing so it muffled his frustration. Beneath that was the fear of what he would become that sparked in his gut. There was no happy ending in this situation, no conclusion in which he figured it out and everything turned out okay. 

No matter what happened, he was a dead man walking.

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

"Hey! Are you with me?" 

"What?" Michael snapped out of his reverie at the sound of Daviah's right next to him. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts before he looked at the girl standing next to him, one eyebrow raised. "Sorry." 

"Where did you go?" 

"Nowhere." He didn't want to talk about the memory, triggered by the silver bullet with his his clan's insignia engraved into it. It was in a plastic Ziploc bag so he could touch it without burning his skin. "Just thinking." 

They were in a cheap motel room about ten miles outside of Seattle. Daviah had informed him when they left that morning that she had a contact that could help them on their search for his father. They had used cash for the motel room and for the bus tickets they had bought so any paper trail would be minimal. Michael discovered that Daviah also had a fake ID that said she was twenty-five. He didn't think she looked old enough to be twenty-five, but no one had questioned her insofar. It didn't seem strange to Michael that she would have a fake ID. Lots of college students had them. 

He lay back on the bed, dangling the Ziploc bag from his fingers for a moment before tossing it with the bullet inside onto the nightstand between the two beds. On the bed next to him, Daviah sat cross-legged, her head tilted to the side as she stared at him. 

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked. 

Michael rolled his eyes. "Nothing for you to worry about. Just some old memories creeping up."

"About your dad?" 

"Yeah." 

"I take it he was always a great human being?" she sniffed. 

Michael shrugged, unsure of how much he wanted to say. There was so much about him that he didn't share with even the people closest to him let alone someone he had only just met. He told himself that she was just making conversation. What else did they have to do on this impromptu road trip. 

"You know," she continued softly, "if we're in this together you're going to have to start trusting me." 

He cut a sideways glance to her. "The fact I'm here seems like a pretty good indication that I trust you at least a little bit." 

"I know, but I don't know anything about you." 

"You haven't exactly been forthcoming with information about yourself," he said flatly. 

Daviah gave him a withering look. "I know. I guess we both have scars we're not ready to show each other. The difference is that mine are still fresh." 

"I didn't realize we were meant to be comparing scars. All you need to know about my relationship with my father is that he wants me dead."

No response. Just as Michael had expected. 

He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, facing her, and considered his words carefully. Michael knew he had to be delicate because she could at any point decide they didn't need each other and strike out on her own. Michael was not about to let that happen. 

"I wasn't trying to be a dick. Look, we both have reasons for why we're doing this and I get that your trauma is still an open wound, but that doesn't mean I want to talk about the things that went on in my past. I've worked really, really hard to compartmentalize all of that, tuck it away into neat little files in the archives of my brain and if I can keep them from flying out then I will. It's not personal. It's just for my own sanity. You get that, right?" 

Daviah nodded slowly. "Of course. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." 

Michael could tell she was being sincere and he brushed off her apology. 

"Can you teach me?" she asked. "Teach me how you do it?"

"It's...it won't happen over night." 

"It doesn't have to," Daviah's eyes watered and Michael braced himself for her to start crying, but she managed to hold herself together. "I just need to start sooner rather than later."

Michael sucked his bottom lip between his teeth. Mali had been the one to help him with all of the yoga and meditating and spirituality. He knew that not every pack was the same, they all practiced different ways of life, but he had to wonder if Daviah's pack had failed her in the department of coping mechanisms. 

"Yeah," he said finally. "I'll teach you."

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

Luke had never been particularly fond of flying, and he was even less so now that he was a werewolf. The very idea of being contained agitated his alpha, made him restless, and it was as though he could take medication for it. His werewolf metabolism worked at triple the speed of a human’s thus making it impossible for his body to absorb anything that could alter his mental status. He tried listening to music, but he couldn’t find anything that he really wanted to hear. Then he tried reading one of Ashton’s sci-fi novels but his mind kept wandering and he found he was reading the same paragraph three times before he gave up, shoving the book away in frustration. It was only a four hour flight, and yet Luke had felt like he would crawl out of his skin after only an hour. 

Next to him, Ashton was tucked up against the wall of the plane, headphones on and asleep. Luke could tell by the pattern of his breathing. Part of him wanted to shake his friend awake, make him stay up with him so he would have someone to talk to. He didn’t. 

The full moon wasn’t for another week, but the anxiety of flying had him concerned he would wolf out at any moment. Then what would happen? Would he kill everyone on the flight around him? Ashton included? The thought made him queasy. Next time, he thought maybe they ought to take a bus. Had he been this agitated on the flight home? Probably. Maybe it was worse because of the impending full moon. Luke didn’t know. He just wanted off the damn plane. 

The seat belt light above them illuminated and the captain’s voice came over the speaker, informing them they were about to start their descent. Luke nudged Ashton to wake him up and then gripped the arms of his seat, trying desperately not to poke through the upholstery with his nails. He closed his eyes, breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth. 

When the plane finally landed, it was bumpy, jarring Luke from the minimal calm space he had found in his brain. He opened his eyes and took off the seatbelt as soon as the light went off. It took them ten minutes to taxi and when they reached the gate, Luke had to remember not to shove people out of the way to get off this gods forsaken thing. At least they had people waiting for them when they got to the terminal. Excitement flooded through Luke, chasing away the residual anxiety from the plane. He couldn’t wait to see Michael.

But as they reached the terminal and found Calum and Mali waiting for them, there was no sign of Michael. Luke watched, somewhat despondently, as Calum grabbed hold of the front of Ashton’s jacket and kissed him hello. His stomach flipped uncomfortably and try as he might, Luke couldn’t stop the surge of jealousy that shot through him. Why hadn’t Michael come?

“Welcome back,” said Mali, tugging Luke into a hug. “How was your flight?” 

“Terrible,” Luke replied. 

Mali smiled, sympathetic. “It won’t be so bad once you’ve got a hang on the whole...thing…” She was being discreet with her words since they were surrounded by people. “Let’s get your stuff and get out of Dodge.” 

He followed his friends down to baggage and stood by quietly as they waited for the carousel to start. Next to him Ashton was chattering away with Calum and Mali about the holiday, what he had done over his break, how New Year’s Eve would have been better with them. Some silly part of Luke, childish in nature, kept hoping that he would look up and see Michael. That he had just run off to use the restroom or get a drink or...something.

“How come Michael didn’t come with you?” Three pairs of blinking eyes looked back at him. Mali and Calum exchanged a look that irritated Luke. “Was he busy or something?” 

“Let’s get your stuff and we’ll talk once we get in the car,” Calum suggested. “Are you guys hungry? I bet you’re starving after the flight. We can stop before we leave Portland if-”

“Calum,” Luke fixed his gaze on the beta, his voice barelying holding back the annoyance he felt, “where is Michael?” 

It felt like the alpha was pacing in the back of his head, pawing at the invisible ground in agitation because the thing it wanted most was not present. Luke had been able to subdue the alpha for the entire holiday, but now that he was back in Oregon, back in close proximity to Michael, he could feel it’s desire to break through the carefully constructed barrier Luke had been building for weeks and weeks. He reached for that place of calm in his mind that he had been in touch with earlier, the way Mali had shown him, but it felt slippery and like he couldn’t grasp onto it. 

He couldn’t lost it here. Not with all these people around. Luke hated this, hated that he didn’t have control over the alpha like he should. Most of all, he hated that Michael seemed to be his kryptonite. 

“Michael went with Daviah back to Napa Valley to get more of her things,” Mali finally said. “They said they would be back in a few days.” 

Luke felt his heart slide into his stomach. The alpha bristled, its frustration more pronounced than ever. But it wasn’t only the fact that Michael had chosen to go with Daviah when he had known Luke was coming back to school, it was that deep in the recesses of his mind, a small voice he had been trying to squash for weeks spoke to him. 

_You know you’re dangerous when he’s around. Do you want to kill everyone you care about?_

He wanted to deny it. He loved Michael. How could that possibly be something that was wrong? But maybe he was being naive. What if he never figured out how to control the alpha while Michael was around? What if he hurt Michael again? What if he hurt his friends or family? 

What was he willing to risk to be with Michael? It was a question that Luke was not sure how to answer. 

He felt a hand against his arm and looked down to see it belonged to Mali. "Are you okay?" she asked. 

Swallowing thickly, Luke nodded. "Just tired from the flight. Let's get out of here." 

None of his friends looked convinced, but they didn't say anything more as they grabbed their bags from the carousel and made their way out of the airport. He and Ashton loaded their luggage into the back of the truck and climbed into the backseat of the extended cab. 

Luke leaned his head against the cool surface of the window, eyes heavenward as he watched the sky. The stars were difficult to see in the brightness of the city, but the moon was there, bright and half full. He felt like it was taunting him somehow, reminding him that he was going to fail at being an alpha and disappoint the people who believed in him. 

Since he had been bitten, the light at the end of the tunnel had always been Michael. Now that light was growing dimmer and dimmer, and he was to blame for it. Because his fear of Dorian Belmont had made him reckless, caused his death thus making him this...thing he did not recognize. Luke wasn't strong enough for this. He wasn't like Calum or Michael or Ashley. He wasn't as strong as his brothers. 

He felt like the clock was ticking down. He was running out of time. 

How long did he truly have left before the alpha consumed him entirely?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey my loves. I'm so sorry if there's a bunch of mistakes in this chapter. I'm not feeling super well today and I tried to go through it to fix anything that was glaring but I didn't have the brain power to worry too much about it! Sorry in advance!


	12. Chapter 12

When Michael woke the next morning, the faintest hint of light was seeping through the part in the dingy curtains of the room. He groaned faintly, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands to wipe the sleep from them. His vision now clearer, he turned his head to find Daviah’s bed was empty. Michael sat up and checked the time on his phone. It was a little after six. They had agreed to be up by seven and out the door half an hour later. 

“Daviah?” he called. No answer. 

Michael listened for any sign that Daviah was in the room; the shower running, her heartbeat or breathing. It was silent save for the soft hum of electricity buzzing through the room. He dragged himself out of bed and rummaged through his bag to get clean clothes. He would give it until he was out of the shower, and if she wasn’t back by then he would try her cell. 

Despite the bathroom needing an update, it was clean and the water was hot. Michael made quick work of showering, and brushed his teeth in the shower to save time. A pipe clanged in the wall as he shut the water off that made him cringe. He got out, dried off and got dressed. When he returned to the main room, Daviah still wasn’t back. 

Frowning, Michael picked his cell up off the nightstand and scrolled through his contacts until he found Daviah’s number. He hit the call button and the sound of her ringtone startled him. He furrowed his brow and followed the sound to where the phone was buried among bedding and pillows. His own name was displayed on the screen until it went to voicemail. A notification of a missed call replaced the caller ID, and for a moment Michael was tempted to try and get into her phone. The problem, of course, was that he didn’t have the right fingerprint to get past the biometric lock and he didn’t know Daviah well enough to even guess at what her passcode might be. 

There were other missed calls on the phone and notifications for text messages that didn’t show a preview. All of them were under and anonymous name with a blocked phone number. Michael wondered who would be calling Daviah when her entire pack had been killed. Friends, maybe, but it didn’t make sense for them to be anonymous. 

A tendril of suspicion moved through his gut and he wished he had Ashley’s skills for hacking into technology right then. If he could get into the phone, maybe he could learn something more about Daviah. 

The sound of the lock turning in the door startled him and Michael quickly buried the phone back under the blankets and pillows where he had found it. The door opened and Daviah came into the room, balancing a cup carrier and a bag that smelled of butter and sugar in her hand. She nudged the door shut with her foot and stopped when she saw him standing in the middle of the room. Michael hoped he didn’t look like he’d just been caught snooping even though he had been. 

“Morning,” she said, an eyebrow raised. “You good? You look like a deer in headlights.”

Michael shook his head, praying that she wasn’t tuning into his chemical signatures which would give away his guilt. “I’m fine. Just tired. The beds here suck.”

“Ah well, then it’s a good thing I’ve brought coffee back. An extra shot of espresso in each and sugary pastries to get the day started.”

“You know that stuff doesn’t actually work,” Michael’s lips twitched in a grin.

“Shh. It’s the placebo effect. I’m perfectly happy with it being all in my head.” 

Daviah took a seat on the bed and handed him one of the coffees, then a strawberry danish along with a napkin. Michael murmured his thanks and took a seat at the small desk, placing the coffee on the surface. 

“What’s the plan?” he asked before biting into the danish.

Daviah licked a bit of strawberry off her finger. “I have a contact. Well, it was a Lancaster contact, but it’s an ex-hunter that got booted from-”

“Malcolm Sykes,” Michael interrupted. Daviah’s eyes cut a sidelong glance at him. “He was banished from his clan back in the 90s because he refused to take out a pack that had a lot of children in it. I remember my dad using it as an example of being a weak hunter when I was growing up.” 

“Yeah, well,” she continued, “Lancaster has kept in touch with him over the years for inside information. Networking is what he called it. I don’t know the specifics, but if there’s anyone that can put us on the right path then it’s him.”

“How do you know where to find him?”

“I overheard Lancaster in a meeting with some of his betas, planning a trip to Spokane because there was suspicion of hunter activity. Guess they were too late.” 

Michael didn’t miss the sadness in Daviah’s voice and he looked down at the half-eaten pastry in his hand, no longer hungry. He tossed the pastry in the trashcan and leaned back in the chair with the coffee. 

“How do you know he’ll be willing to help?” he asked. 

Daviah shrugged. “I don’t know that, but I figure I can find a way to persuade him.” 

“How?” 

"I have ways.” 

The suspicion that he felt earlier sparked again inside of him, but he did his best to squash it. Whatever Daviah was hiding didn’t matter to him. It wasn’t relevant to what they were doing. As long as they made it to the endgame of this mission, he didn’t care what her secrets were. In the back of his head, he heard a voice that was disturbingly similar to Calum’s, telling him that his tunnel vision was going to get him in trouble. Michael ignored it. What could this girl really do to him? As far as he was concerned, they were evenly matched and he had the advantage of a hunter’s skill set. One way or another, he was going to make it home to his family and Luke.

  
  


─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


The bus trip from Seattle to Spokane was over four hours. Michael had spent most of it with his earbuds in, listening to a playlist he had created a few weeks ago. It mostly consisted of songs that reminded him of Luke. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone because it was just a little bit embarrassing. Nerves fluttered around in his belly the closer they got to their destination. Daviah had acquired the address for Sykes from Lancaster’s office when she had retrieved her belongings before coming back to Eugene with them. He almost found it disturbing how focused she was on finding his father and cutting him down, but Michael chalked it up to Daviah using it as a distraction so she didn’t have to face her actual demons. 

Every time his phone rang he ignored the call, and there were several unanswered text messages from the people back home. Michael had taken care to turn the GPS off on his phone just in case anyone got the clever idea to track him down.

They reached the bus depot in Spokane and unboarded, their backpacks the only luggage they had with them. It was afternoon and the sun was high, washing out the faded colors of the building and concrete of the boarding areas. Michael rubbed the blood back into his legs, glad to be off the bus. He hated being in confined spaces. It made him anxious. 

“You gonna call this guy first?” he asked. 

Daviah shook her head. “The element of surprise is on our side.” 

“And you think that’ll make him feel more inclined to tell us anything?” 

She ignored his question as they weaved their way through the crowded depot and out onto the street. 

Daviah pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to check something then asked, “Uber would be cheaper but we can’t pay in cash. I guess we’re taking a taxi.” 

Michael groaned faintly, knowing that cab fares were ridiculously high. “Let’s go then.” 

He walked over to where a group of cabs were waiting for customers and gave the cabbie the address in Daviah’s phone. The entire time, Michael watched the meter as it ticked along, getting more expensive with each mile they traveled.

They reached the other side of town half an hour later and got out of the cab, paying their fare which ended up costing them over thirty dollars with the tip included. Michael was still grumbling about it as he followed Daviah across the road and nearly ran into her when she stopped abruptly. 

“What gives?” he asked.

“This is it.”

Michael followed her gaze to the rundown house in front of them. It was then that he realized that <i>all</i> of the houses on the street were in the same condition. He pressed his lips into a thin line and focused his hearing for any sign of trouble. 

“Does he think he’s being inconspicuous?” 

Daviah shrugged. “Who knows. Let’s go.” 

She led the way up the broken concrete path next to an equally broken up driveway with rusted car under a precariously built carport. The steps leading up to the house were missing planks of wood and Michael stepped carefully as he climbed them so he didn’t fall through. Daviah knocked on the door. No response. 

“Maybe he’s not home?” Michael offered. Daviah pressed her ear to the door, cursed, then jiggled the doorknob. “What are you doing?” 

“What does it look like I’m doing?” She ripped the doorknob clean off the door and swung it open. “Come on.” 

“You never said breaking and entering was on the itinerary,” Michael groused.

Daviah shot him a withering look. “So you’re fine with murder but not burglary?” 

“I never said I was fine with murder.” 

“Then how do you plan to kill your dad?” 

They glared at each other for a long moment before Daviah rolled her eyes. “We don’t have time for this. Let’s see if we can find information on your dad.” 

Michael followed her through the small living room and over to a door that led to a small spare room. The room was floor to ceiling with boxes and filing cabinets. A small desk sat toward the back of the room, also covered in files and folders. Michael knew that packs often kept records of their own pack and packs in close proximity, but why would an ex-hunter want to keep track of hunter clans so closely?

He took the lid off of one box and sifted through the folders and papers inside. It was nothing useful, only old tax forms and information. Michael set aside the box and started to go through the other one. This one contained receipts, medical bills and bank statements. 

“Are you sure this is what we need to look for?” Michael asked. “It doesn’t make sense he would keep records on clans and packs.” 

“Yeah, well, he’s not exactly here for us to ask,” Daviah retorted. 

Michael made a derisive sound in the back of his throat and went through a third box and came up with nothing once again. He was about to tell Daviah this was a waste of time and they should just wait for Sykes to get back when she made a triumphant “aha!”. 

He sidled up next to her, looking over her shoulder to see what she had found. “What is it?” 

“Information I told you would be here. Look at this.” She opened the folder in her hands and pointed to a list of names. “Just like I said, he has records on all the clans.”

“Okay, but why? It still doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t know. So he can filter information to werewolf packs? Maybe it’s his form of pay back for being banished from his clan? Maybe he’s plotting something else?”

“Seems like an awful lot of work just because he was banished.”

Daviah didn’t reply. She flipped to the next page and her eyes scanned over the words. “Oh shit. Look at thi-”

The front door opened and Michael cursed under his breath. Sykes was home. 

“We have to go,” he hissed, snatching the folder from Daviah and shoving it into his backpack. “We can go through the window.”

The window Michael was referring to was behind three stacks of boxes and they hurried over to them to slide them across the floor as carefully as possible to keep from making too much noise. 

“This is stupid,” Daviah muttered. “Let’s just confront the guy. Who’s he gonna tell that we broke in? The cops?”

“That’s exactly what I don’t want to happen,” Michael snapped. They didn't have a pack here with people on the inside of the police force to cut him a break. Sure, he could call Joy and hopefully she would pay their bail, but that was the last thing he wanted to do. They were going to catch hell as it was when Joy learned that he had lied about where they were going and what they were doing. 

With the boxes out of the way, Michael shoved his fingertips into the groove of the window to pry it open. It didn’t budge. He was going to have to break the window. Great, breaking and entering plus vandalism. 

Then he heard the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being cocked. He froze, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Michael spared a glance at Daviah and she sucked in a breath, nervousness rolling off of her in waves. If the situation had been different, Michael might have become gleeful in seeing her shaken.

“Turn around slowly,” said a raspy voice. 

Drawing in a breath, Michael turned around slowly as instructed, his hands visible to show that he didn’t have a weapon. Next to him, Daviah did the same though her expression was not one of surrender. She looked annoyed. 

Sykes looked older than Michael expected, though he knew the man was only in his 50s. He looked haggard and there were dark circles under his eyes the color of bruises. Though he held the gun steady, Michael could tell it was taking him some effort to do so. Beneath the musty scent of the house, he caught the scent of something pungent and unpleasant coming from the man: sickness. Sykes was terminally ill. It explained all the medical bills and statements he’d found in the boxes he had searched. 

“I don’t know or care who you are, but I’m giving you thirty seconds to get out of my house before I put a silver bullet in each of you,” Sykes growled. 

“Wait,” Michael said cautiously, “we came looking for your help. We need to find a clan.”

Sykes eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I don’t have any information I’m willing to share with you. Now get on your way.”

Michael sighed, ready to do as he was told when Daviah darted past him in a blur of motion. It happened so fast he barely had time to register what was happening as she ripped the gun from Sykes’ hands and took hold of his throat. Sykes reflexes had become slow, likely from the illness, and it put him at a disadvantage. Daviah slammed him against the wall and Sykes cried out. 

“You do have the information we need and if you don’t give it to us then I have no problem ripping your goddamn throat out,” Daviah growled, her eyes flashing a bright yellow.

Michael moved quickly to her side, and took hold of her wrist, his voice calmer than he actually felt. “Let him go, Daviah. Now.”

Daviah’s grip didn’t release but it did loosen as she glowered at Michael. “You’re too soft,” she spit. “How the fuck do you think you’re going to waste Daryl Clifford if you’re not willing to get your hands dirty?”

“That’s not what this is about right now. Let him go.” 

Reluctantly, Daviah released her grip on Sykes and he slumped against the wall, gasping. Michael frowned and moved a hand to the man’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” Sykes brushed his hand away and nodded. 

“Why are you looking for Daryl Clifford?” he asked. Michael could see that curiosity had won out. “You got no business going after a clan that powerful.” 

Daviah snorted derisively and Michael glared at her. Her stance was defensive, hands curled into fists at her side with barely controlled rage. Michael felt something akin to dread curl in his stomach. If he had not been there to stop it, he was sure Daviah would have killed Sykes without a second thought. 

But he didn’t have time to worry about that right now. Right now, he needed to find out what this man knew about his father. 

“I’m his son,” Michael said stiffly. 

Sykes sucked in a sharp breath, his watery eyes widening in surprise. “You’re Daryl’s boy?” Michael nodded. “Ain’t that something…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Daviah asked through gritted teeth. 

Sykes glowered at her and straightened himself up. He looked to Michael and studied him for a moment. “Not that I owe you anything after you broke into my place, but you’ve got my attention.”

Something about the way Sykes said it sent a chill down Michael’s spine. “Why?”

“Because you’re supposed to be dead.”


	13. Chapter 13

_Michael’s skin felt like it was on fire. Any moment he was sure he was going to burst into flame. The window of his bedroom was open, letting in the icy wind of winter in. A futile attempt to provide some relief. No matter how cold the air around him was he still felt sweat sliding down the back of his neck._

_His head throbbed and pain lanced through his gut. It felt like someone was stabbing him with a knife over and over again. He lay curled up on his bedroom floor, eyes squeezed shut though it didn’t stop the tears from falling._

_The wound in his side had healed days ago, but Michael had held onto hope that it wasn’t a sign that he was turning. It had been a pointless hope because as the moon’s cycle got closer and closer to full he could feel the changes in his body. Michael knew everything there was to know about werewolves without being one himself. He had spent his whole life studying them._ Know your enemy _, his father would tell him. But nothing could have prepared him for this._

_Was it supposed to be this painful? Did every newly turned werewolf experience this? Or was this some kind of punishment because he had committed a sin against them just by being born a hunter?_

_Tomorrow night was the full moon and he would turn for the first time unless he did something to stop it. Michael knew there was no way to do that without making the ultimate sacrifice. And he was not sure he was strong enough to do it._

_The sound of the front door opening alerted him that his father was home and he tried to will his body to get up and get into bed. He could fake being ill as long as his father didn’t seem him, but he couldn’t do it. It hurt too much. Michael whimpered pathetically as heavy footsteps ascended the stairs, came down the hall and stopped in front of his room. The loud knock on his door startled him despite knowing his father was on the other side._

_“Michael, are you there?”_

_He didn’t answer. A moment later the door opened and he forced his head to look up at his father, his eyes burning a bright yellow._

_Daryl Clifford went very still, his mouth forming a straight line. Familiar green eyes locked on his own, and the sheer disgust Michael saw in them sent his heart sinking into his stomach._

_“Dad,” he whimpered. “Help me. It hurts.”_

_“When did this happen?” Michael shook his head, blinking back the tears from his eyes. “When!” Daryl shouted._

_Michael trembled, both from the pain and the fear that shot through him and he shook his head. He was stupid to have tried to keep this secret. His father was a trained hunter, had been his whole life and could spot a transitioning werewolf any day._

_“Two weeks ago,” he whispered._

_Footsteps again, this time leading away from his door. Michael looked up to see his father had retreated from his door and he growled in frustration, slamming his fist against the floor next to his head. He wanted this to be over. He wanted the pain to go away, to wipe the disgust in his father’s eyes from his memory._

_Michael didn’t know how long he lay on the floor before he heard his father return. He opened his eyes to mere slits, and watched as the man crouched next to him. There was a flash of silver and Michael sucked in a sharp breath as his father held out ruby encrusted hilt of a dagger to him._

_“You know what to do. Make sure it’s done before you become a monster.”_

_He didn’t reach for the dagger and shook his head. “Dad, please. Don’t make me do this.”_

_There was no mercy in Daryl’s eyes, no sign of sadness at all. It turned Michael’s blood cold. His father grabbed his hand, jerking his arm so hard it hurt and Michael cried out. He forced the hilt of the dagger into Michael’s palm and closed his fingers around it._

_“You know this is what needs to be done,” Daryl said calmly. “You’re tainted. No longer human.”_

_“But I’m your son!” Michael implored, grasping at anything that might change his father’s mind._

_Daryl shook his head. “No, you’re not. My son is dead.”_

_His father stood, his expression blank as he left the room, leaving Michael on the floor with the dagger in his hand._

_Michael knew what was expected of him, what he was supposed to do. Every hunter vowed that if they were ever bitten and at the risk of turning that they would plunge a dagger into their heart because it was better to be dead than be a monster. He was meant to be strong. He was meant to understand the honor of this sacrifice._

_But he couldn’t do it. He didn’t want to become a monster, but more than that he didn’t want to die._

  


─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

Michael felt like he had been submerged into the icy waters. He stood, frozen, staring at the man before him with wide eyes. It should not have surprised him to know that Daryl Clifford had told people that he was dead. Yet, to hear it out loud from this stranger felt like a punch to the solar plexus. It felt like the air had been sucked from his lungs. His father would have told his clan that Michael had done what he was meant to do, maybe even said he was brave and honorable. It was all bullshit because he had run like a coward and become the very thing he was supposed to hate more than anything.

The first time he had turned, he had been in the woods so the only thing that had suffered was the deer he had killed in his animal-like rage. Michael had made sure to keep away from cities and towns, going in the opposite direction when he came upon one. He didn’t think he could live with himself if he killed a human being.

The next time he had turned, it felt like the humanity he held had been shoved into the deepest recesses of his mind, the animal in him taking over. He destroyed a privately owned business in a small town and nearly killed the employees inside before changing back at the last moment. Michael had run as fast and as far away from the town as he could, praying that the people he had injured hadn’t seen his face well enough to identify him. 

That incident had set the wheels in motion, and for the next two weeks Michael had felt like someone was following him. By the time he reached Bend, Oregon, he had been found by Calum the night of his third full moon, shaking and covered in blood. Calum, Ashley and two other pack members had taken him home to Eugene where he had been ever since. 

Michael had learned that family were sometimes the people you chose. The Hood pack was his family no matter what. 

Sykes pushed himself off the wall and gestured for Michael and Daviah to follow him into the small kitchen. “Have a seat,” he said, waving a hand dismissively at the small table with three worn chairs. 

Michael and Daviah exchanged a look before sinking into the seats. For several long minutes, Sykes shuffled around the kitchen, filling an electric kettle and getting three mugs out of the cupboard. Michael watched as he put a tea bag in each. The moment felt surreal. 

Daviah leaned over to him and whispered, “Is this guy really going to offer us tea after we broke into his house and assaulted him.” 

“ _You_ assaulted him,” Michael pointed out. “I had nothing to do with that.” 

“I can hear you,” Sykes grumbled. “I might be a sick old man, but I ain’t deaf.” 

Daviah rolled her eyes as Michael said, “Sorry. We’re just a little confused.”

The electric kettle whistled and Sykes poured hot water into each much. He carried two of them over and gave one to each of them, then turned back for his own mug and spoons. A covered glass bowl of sugar sat on the table and Sykes opened it, dumping copious amounts into his mug and stirring it. 

“Can’t exactly turn you over to the authorities,” Sykes said. “And while ya could’ve gone without roughing me up, I guess the shock of seeing Daryl’s dead son got me curious.” 

Michael didn’t bother to put sugar in the tea because he wasn’t interested in drinking it, but he did wrap his hands around the ceramic, letting the warmth seep into his palms. “How do you know my father?” 

Sykes eyed him over the rim of his mug as he took an experimental sip of his tea. The pregnant pause put Michael on edge, and he could tell that it was irritating Daviah. Finally he said, “I was part of his clan. We grew up together.” 

“What?” Michael and Daviah said at the same time. 

“You knew my dad? But I thought you were banished from your clan.” 

“I was. You were just a tot when I was kicked out. You wouldn’t have remembered me.” 

Michael felt his head start to spin. He studied Sykes hard, digging into his mind to try and pull up any kind of memory of this man, but there was nothing. Sykes must have left before he was old enough to start forming long term memories. 

Daviah said, “No offense, but you look way older than Daryl Clifford. How could you have grown up together.” 

Sykes glared at her. “The misfortune of being human and suffering through cancer and chemo. It ages you surprisingly quick.” 

Beneath the table, Michael kicked Daviah’s shin in warning. Now that they had Sykes talking, Michael didn’t want to risk her offending him and getting kicked out before they gathered any real information. 

“But that’s not really important,” Sykes continued. He brought his mug of tea to his mouth and blew on it, then took another sip. He set the mug down and leveled his gaze on Michael. “Your dad wasn’t always the bitter man you probably came to know.” 

Michael felt something uncomfortable squirm in his gut. The man he had known his father to be was aloof, often cruel, and Michael had a hard time believing he hadn't always been that way. He had never known his grandparents on either side because they had passed before Michael was born so he didn't know if the disposition his father carried was hereditary. Daryl Clifford had been an only child. His mother had a younger sister, but he had only met her a handful of times as a child. 

“I can’t imagine him any other way.” 

Sykes shook his head sadly. “That’s a shame. He was a good man before your mother died. When he lost her he just...he was never the same.” 

Daviah rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry, but I’m failing to see how anyone that’s a hunter is a ‘good’ person. They kill my kind.”

“Only when you become a threat,” Sykes countered. “We all know the rules and most of us stick by those rules. We have for a very long time. But just like every werewolf pack isn’t on par with a truce so it is with hunter clans. There’s radicals on both sides, girl. It’s best you keep that in mind.” 

“He killed my entire pack,” Daviah hissed. 

“And you think you’re the only one who has suffered at his hands?” 

“Alright!” Michael burst out, having had enough of the back and forth. “Daviah, you need to take it down a notch, okay? And you,” he turned to Sykes, “can you just tell me what the hell you’re talking about?” 

Sykes and Daviah glared at each other from across the table but said nothing else, much to Michael’s relief. 

“As I was saying,” Sykes continued, “your dad wasn’t like this when I knew him. I said we grew up together and we did. Our fathers were the best of friends. He met your mother when we were sixteen. They fell in love. They followed the code. Respected the boundaries. When he learned your mom was pregnant with you, well, the only other time I saw him that happy was when you were born. He doted on you like such a proud father.” Sykes paused, and his eyes looked far away as he recalled the memories. “Then your mom died and Daryl just became a completely different person. It was like your mother kept all the terrible things about him at bay, and when she passed it was a floodgate that just burst open.”

Michael felt like he couldn’t breathe. His heart felt like it was lodged in his throat and a bone-deep sadness settled into him. He felt a hand on his wrist, soft fingers curling around his wrist and his eyes darted to where Daviah’s hand rested on his skin. He knew she was trying to offer a modicum of comfort, but the only thing Michael wished was that Luke was with him right now offering that comfort. 

“He told me my mother was killed by a werewolf,” he said softly. “Is that true?” 

Sykes looked troubled as he shook his head. “No. She died in a car accident. She was driving at night, it was dark and something ran out into the road and she swerved and hit a tree. There was no proof that it was ever a werewolf, but your dad couldn’t see reason. He wanted - he _needed_ \- something to blame and blaming werewolves was convenient at the time. There had been trouble with a pack around that time that another hunter clan had dealt with.” 

Silence fell around them for several long moments, each of them lost in their own heads. Michael’s mind was chaos as he tried to reconcile everything he thought he knew about his past, about his parents, with the new information Sykes had given him. A small, petulant part of Michael wanted to believe Sykes was lying. But he knew the man was telling the truth based on his steady heart beat. 

So much of his life before he had become a werewolf had been a lie.

“So what exactly happened that got you kicked out of the clan?” Daviah asked. 

Sykes face changed from empathetic to hard in a matter of seconds. He looked down into his mug of cooling tea as if he were trying to gather his thoughts. “Daryl couldn’t be reasoned with. He wanted vengeance for Karen’s death and it didn’t matter if the packs he hunted were innocent or not. Blood was blood.” 

“Okay, but how did he get away with it? How did the Order not get wind of what he was doing?” 

“Because the man was crafty. He would set them up, make it appear as though they had done something heinous to justify the slaughter.” 

Michael felt sick. He drew in a shaky breath to tamp down the bile rising in his throat. His father hadn’t just been seeking vengeance, he had become positively psychopathic. 

“And the Order never got suspicious?” Michael asked. 

“Oh, sure they did but they could never prove anything was amiss.” Sykes rubbed a hand down his face. “You have to remember something else, Michael, your dad was charismatic. The clan trusted him, supported him. You’re talking about people who have been raised their whole lives to hate werewolves. It’s easy to incite their rage, especially when it seems personal. They made sure to always tie up the loose ends so the Order was none the wiser. The Order doesn’t just consist of werewolves, after all.” 

Michael nodded. He did know that. The Order had two factions; hunter and werewolf. Each were meant to deal with their respective sides, but Michael rarely heard anything about the hunter faction and he’d never met any of them. 

“Anyway,” Sykes went on, “I realized what your dad was doing wasn’t right. I knew it in my heart, but I went along with it for awhile because he was my best friend and he was hurting. I was with him until he asked me to do something I couldn’t. The pack he wanted taken out was a big one, and there were a lot of kids. Innocents. Some werewolves, some humans, but we didn’t know which were which. Daryl didn’t care. He wanted them all wiped out and I refused to do it. I actively stopped the plan from happening by warning the alpha of what was coming and to get out. Your dad knew it was me and I didn't deny it when he confronted me about it. For the first time in my life I feared my best friend. I thought he might make me pay for what I'd done with my life. Instead, he cast me out and I’ve been living in exile ever since. As far as I know, the Lancaster pack is the first pack he’s slaughtered in a very long time.” 

Michael felt Daviah stiffen beside him and he could hear the subtle creaking of the wood on the table where she was squeezing the edge so tightly her knuckles paled. 

“That was my pack,” she muttered. 

Sykes eyes widened slightly. “Was it? Well, I’m sorry to hear about that. How did you get away?” 

“I didn’t,” she said. “He left me alive to get a message to Michael that he was coming for him.” 

The man sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes narrowed on Michael. “You best be prepared to do what needs to be done. Are you?” 

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Michael nodded. “I think so.”

“Not good enough? Can you do it or not?”

“I can do it.” 

“Good.” Sykes looked between the two of them. “I suppose you came here because you think I know where Daryl’s at and you’d be right. I can give you-”

Three rapid bangs ripped through the air in quick succession, followed by the sound of shattering glass. Blood sprayed across Michael’s face, warm and viscous, and it took several seconds for his brain to register what was happening. 

“Get down!” Daviah cried, pushing him off the chair and onto the floor. 

Michael gasped as his body hit the cracked linoleum and when his eyes found Sykes, the man was lying on the floor, with three bullet wounds in his chest. 

“No, no, no!” He scrambled over to Sykes and pressed his hands to two of the wounds, hoping in vain to staunch the bleeding. “Daviah, help me!” Michael looked down at Sykes, tears stinging the back of his eyes. “It’s gonna be okay. We’ll fix this. Hang on. Daviah, please!”

Daviah was next to him then, balling up a couple of hand towels to put against the wounds. Michael couldn’t think. It had happened so fast and no matter how hard he put pressure on the bullet wounds, Sykes just kept bleeding. His ears were ringing with the echo of the gunshots and vaguely he heard Daviah speaking with someone on the phone, 911, maybe. 

“Michael.” Sykes voice was weak, and blood was leaking out of the corner of his mouth. “Stay alive. Live a happy life. That’s the best way to stick it to the bastards of the world.” 

Michael shook his head, tears streaking down his cheeks. “I don’t know if I can.”

“You can. You got people who love you, right?” Michael nodded. “That’s all you need then.”

A sob tore from his throat as Sykes took one last, shaky breath and then nothing.


	14. Chapter 14

Sirens wailed in the distance. Outside the house, he could hear people gathering in the street, curious to see what happened. Daviah was next to him, speaking to him, but her voice sounded like she was twenty feet below water, garbled and unintelligible. Everything felt like it was in slow motion and he was vaguely aware that Daviah was tugging on his shirt. Instead of looking at her, he looked down at his hands which were covered in Sykes’ blood. It had gone cold and tacky on his skin and he wanted it off. There was so much blood everywhere. 

“Michael, we have to go. Michael, come on!”

Suddenly, time seemed to speed up and sound rushed into his ears. It overwhelmed him. He wiped his palms on the front of his jeans but he couldn’t get the blood off of them. He cursed softly, standing on shaky legs. 

“We have to go,” Daviah insisted. “Come on. The cops are on their way.” 

“We’re just gonna leave him here?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Do you really want to risk arrest and suspicion?” 

No, he didn’t. Michael looked back at Sykes’ lifeless body and a shudder rolled down his spine. He felt strangely empty, like he lost some vital piece to his history he didn’t even know existed. He had so many questions for Sykes; about his father, his mother, what they had been like before everything had gone straight to hell. Maybe Sykes could have given him some kind of insight as to his father’s childhood. Now he would never know. His one connection to his past was dead on the floor with bullet wounds in his chest. 

Michael knew they had to leave. It was too risky to get caught up with the cops so he followed Daviah as they fled out the back door and into an overgrown backyard, the grass having been mostly overrun by weeds that snagged on their boots. They launched themselves over the chain link fence and into an alley littered with trash and broken garbage cans. A stray dog rooting through the garbage caught their sent and pinned his ears back, a low growl erupting from him as they passed. Michael ignored him as they ran down the alley, their boots falling heavily against the asphalt. 

When they were well away from the scene, Daviah turned to Michael and tugged as his bloody shirt, looking for a wound. “Are you hurt?” 

“No,” he shook his head. “This is all Sykes’ blood.” 

She let out a relieved breath. “We have to get some place where you can clean up. There’s a pack just outside of the city. Lancaster was going to stay there when he came to Spokane to meet up with Sykes. We can go there and ask for help.”

“You think they’re going to just let us stay without knowing who we are?” 

“I think they won’t ask questions.” 

“Okay,” Michael agreed. They didn’t have many options. They weren’t going to have enough money to keep spending on motel rooms. Who knew how long it was going to take them to track down his father. “Let’s go.” 

The blood on his shirt had begun to dry, making the material stiff. Michael shuddered at the feeling of it sticking to his skin. He couldn’t wait to get them off and burn them. 

They walked in silence for several yards, Michael’s eyes on the ground in front of them. His mind spun with the little information Sykes had given them. It seemed impossible that his father had once been a completely different person. The man he knew was cold, dedicated to his job of eradicating the world of werewolves. Michael had never understood his father’s dislike of him until someone had told him it was because he looked like his mother. He had tried to be sympathetic knowing that whenever his father looked at him he saw his dead wife, but it felt unfair. It was not Michael’s fault she had died. It had been an accident as far as Sykes was concerned. 

Suddenly, Michael wished he wasn’t there at all. What was he really looking for? Closure? Vengeance? He had convinced himself that it was to protect the people he loved, but deep down Michael wondered if there was something more. Something much darker and visceral. If Daryl wanted him dead, he’d had plenty of opportunity in the last two years. It was clear he knew more about Michael than Michael knew about him. It felt like a game of cat and mouse, and despite being the apex predator, Michael was the mouse. 

Was he walking right into a trap? 

“Are you okay?” Daviah asked, her voice startling Michael out of his head. He nodded. “You sure?” 

“Doesn’t seem like I have any other choice but to be okay.” 

Daviah didn’t respond for a moment. “The file you took from Sykes. It’s in your backpack.” 

He’d nearly forgotten about it. Whatever information it contained could possibly lead him to his father and his heart ticked up a notch. They were getting closer and Michael felt the dread settle into his bones. 

  


─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

Night had fallen by the time they made it out of Spokane and trekked the fifteen miles past the suburbs and into a less populated area. The cold seeped into Michael’s skin, congealed blood on his shirt making the cotton stiff. They had kept to the back streets as much as possible so they could avoid being stopped and questioned. Michael was itching to know what was being said about Sykes death, if there was an official statement made. He had tried to check his phone, but he hesitated to turn his phone back on, knowing there would be a plethora of missed calls and messages. He had thought of asking Daviah to use her phone and decided against it. Michael wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from going through it. 

The GPS on Daviah’s phone led them to a road where the trees bent inward, their bare branches skeletal fingers reaching toward the sky in the dim light of the half moon. Michael shivered faintly. 

A wooden mailbox with neatly painted numbers on the side sat at the end of a driveway, indicating they had found the residence in question. Michael traipsed after Daviah as she led the way down the path and to the house at the other end. It was not quite as large as the Hoods’ home, the style more modern than rustic but the lights on the front porch were lit and it looked welcoming.

They climbed the porch steps and even before Daviah could knock on the door, it opened and a girl about thirteen with curious brown eyes stared up at them. 

“Hi,” Daviah said, her voice carrying a sweetness to it Michael hadn’t known she was capable of. “Is your mom or dad home?” 

The girl nodded, then called over her shoulder for her mother. The high pitched shriek of the girl’s voice was like nails on a chalkboard to Michael. 

A moment later, the door opened wider as the girl’s mother came to the door, exasperation showing on her face from her daughter’s screaming. Her eyes narrowed as she assessed Michael and Daviah, suspicion creeping off of her. 

“Tori, go back inside,” she ordered. The girl huffed but did as she was told. The woman stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. “Can I help you?” 

“Are you Michelle Knott?” Daviah asked. 

“I am. What business do you have here?” 

“My name is Daviah Sparks. I’m from the Lancaster pack in Napa Valley. This is Michael. We’re heading into Canada and need a place to stay for the night.” 

Michelle looked dubious for a moment. She didn’t take her eyes off of Daviah, and Michael knew she was listening for the uptick in Daviah’s heartbeat that would indicate she was lying. The moment stretched onto the point of uncomfortable. Michael was about to take hold of Daviah’s wrist and lead her away from the porch when Michelle spoke.

“I hear the Lancaster pack only had one member survive. I’m sorry for your loss, Daviah.” 

Daviah’s smile was weak as she nodded. “Thank you.” 

Michelle turned her eyes on Michael. “And what pack are you from?” 

“Joy Hood’s pack in Eugene, Oregon.” 

A smile lit up Michelle’s features suddenly. “My husband and I have known Joy for many years. She’s a wonderful alpha.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Michael said politely, “she is.” 

“Just one last thing before I allow you into my home.” Michelle’s eyes studied Michael warily. “Why are you covered in blood?” 

Michael felt himself deflate and his eyes averted to the wood beneath his feet. He was sure Michelle had smelled the blood from first contact, but she must have decided that he wasn’t a threat based on his chemical signatures. 

“We met a man with information on the person who killed Daviah’s pack. We were talking with him in his kitchen and someone shot him. We don’t know who. They were like a sniper.” 

Michelle frowned. “Is someone following you?” 

Daviah shook her head. “No. We would have known way before we got here. Whoever killed our informant didn’t want us to have the information we were looking for.” 

The woman seemed to be considering whether she was going to let them stay. “Excuse me a moment.” 

She disappeared inside of the house and Michael turned to Daviah. “This is stupid. We should just leave. No one would be stupid enough to let two complete strangers stay with them regardless of pack affiliation.” 

“Where do you want to go?” she challenged. “The hotel room last night was all we could afford. So unless you want to bathe in the river, I suggest we try and persuade these people to let us stay.” 

Michael scoffed in frustration. He was about to turn and leave when the door to the house opened and Michelle appeared again. “My apologies. My husband is on a business trip and since he’s the alpha of our pack, I wanted to speak with him before I gave you an answer. I can offer you one night to get some rest and recharge. I’m sorry, but I worry that any longer would risk bringing trouble to our pack. You understand, I’m sure.” 

Michael nodded grimly. “We understand, ma’am.” 

“Please, call me Michelle.” She gestured for them to follow her into the home. The teenage girl who had answered the door initially watched them pass through the foyer from the living room, her expression curious. 

Michelle led them upstairs to the second floor and opened the door to the room on the left. “This is the guest room. There’s two twin beds. The bathroom is across the hall if you’d like to get cleaned up. Please help yourself to anything in the kitchen.” 

“Thank you,” Michael said softly as he followed Daviah into the room. He caught the door just as it was about to close, leaving it slightly ajar. He listened as Michelle’s footsteps faded away. “This whole thing is weird.”

“How do you figure? Didn’t Joy take you in after your turned? Didn’t she take me in after my pack was killed with no questions asked?” Daviah said. 

“I guess you have a point.” 

“Some information is better left unknown.” 

Michael’s brow furrowed at her words as he dug through his bag for clean clothes. They felt weighted, like they had a double meaning. He shook his head and left the room to find the bathroom. He locked the door behind him and stripped out of the blood clothes and into the hot water of the shower. 

He stood under the hot spray of the shower, letting it rinse away the despair that had settled over him. Sykes was dead. They were no closer to finding his father. And he had effectively cut off contact with everyone he loved. 

A small voice in the back of his head nagged at him, asking if this was really worth it. Michael didn’t know anymore, but he had set the wheels into motion. He had to see it through for better or worse. 


	15. Chapter 15

Luke’s knee bounced nervously as the professor droned on about social change in the modern generation. He had stopped listening a long time ago, the man’s voice becoming white noise with the electrical hum of the building and the beating hearts of his classmates. Ashton sat next to him, though Luke wasn’t sure he was paying any more attention. He had all but chewed his fingernails off as the anxiety coiled in the pit of his stomach like a snake ready to strike. A hand on his knee startled him and his leg stopped bouncing. Luke’s eyes zeroed in on the delicately feminine hand on his knee, long nails painted a neon green with silver glitter. He looked up to Ashley and gave her an apologetic smile. 

It had been three days since Michael and Daviah had left. Three days of ignored calls and text messages. Luke had been obsessively glued to his phone before Ashton had pried it out of his hands that morning and chastised him. It had lit his temper on fire, brought the alpha to the surface in a fit of rage. But the moment he touched Ashton a shock of electricity shot through him, bringing Luke back to himself. Later, when Ashton was done being angry with him, Luke had learned the shock came from a protective spell Mali had taught him. Just in case Luke did something he couldn’t control; like attempt to throttle his best friend. 

It was driving him crazy that his phone was in Ashton’s backpack instead of in his hands. 

The lecture ended and Luke followed Ashley and Ashton out of the hall. Their next class wasn’t for another hour and they met Calum in the cafe in Hamilton Hall. They splayed their books across the table between them, but Luke couldn’t focus. He got the feeling that no one else could either. 

Finally, he slammed his book shut and sank into the uncomfortable wooden chair. “This is a waste of time.” 

Calum looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “School is a waste of time?” 

“You know what I mean,” Luke muttered, glaring at his friend. “We should be figuring out where Michael is. What if he’s in trouble or needs us?” 

“If he needed us then he would call.” Calum pointed out, though the tone of his voice belied how he actually felt. 

“Except if he’s otherwise incapacitated then he probably can’t call.” 

Tension wound around the table. Ashton and Ashley shifted uncomfortably in their seats as they looked between him and Calum. Luke glared while Calum looked dubious. Calum wanted to trust Michael, Luke knew that, but he didn’t think this was a matter of trust. Luke didn’t know why Joy had allowed Michael and Daviah to go off on their own. Joy wasn’t naive. Did she really believe that Michael was helping Daviah? Luke didn’t think so. 

“It doesn’t take three days to get your stuff,” he said as he opened his bag and stuffed his books back into it. Luke stood from the table and slung the bag over his shoulder. “I’m going to the vineyard to see what’s going on.”

All three of his friends exchanged looks, but it was Ashton who spoke. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if you’re wrong? Michael will think you don’t trust him.”

“I don’t care. I’d rather him be pissed at me for awhile then dead,” Luke snapped. He didn’t trust Daviah as far as he could throw her even if he couldn’t parse what her intentions were. “You guys can either come with me or stay the hell out of my way.”

He didn’t look back as he stormed out of the cafe. 

Less than an hour later, the four of them were packed into Ashley’s Xterra and weaving through traffic to get to the highway. Luke had barely given any of them the time to pack an overnight bag in his haste to get to Napa Valley. If Michael was there then he was prepared to deal with the consequences of his actions. If he wasn’t, Luke was prepared to go to the ends of the Earth to find him. 

He sat in the front seat of the truck, Ashley in the driver’s seat and Calum and Ashton in the back. Ashton had given Luke back his phone and he tried to call Michael one more time. No answer. He tried texting, but twenty minutes later there was no reply. Frustrated, Luke tossed the phone onto the floorboard of the truck and slumped in his seat. He rolled the window down and let the chill air wash over his face. Leaning his head against the molding, Luke closed his eyes and attempted to ignore the muted conversation around him and the discomfort from his friends. 

He knew he wasn’t being fair to them. It wasn’t their fault Michael had up and left and they didn’t deserve his irritation. Luke would have gone without them, would have been reckless, but he was glad he wasn’t alone. Maybe he was expecting too much from his friends. Probably. This was his problem, not theirs. 

Calum’s phone rang and Luke’s eyes popped open, his heart beat ratcheting up as he turned in his seat. He hoped it was Michael. 

“It’s my mom,” said Calum. “Dammit.” 

“News travels fast,” Ashley added. 

Calum made a non-committal sound in the back of his throat and answered the call. “Hi, mom.” 

It was impossible not to hear Joy’s tinny voice through the phone. By her tone, Luke could tell she wasn’t happy that they had left without telling anyone in the pack. With the latest attack on the Lancasters and the imposing threat of Michael’s father, Joy wanted them to turn around and come home. Luke wanted to snatch the phone from Calum’s hand and ask Joy what she had been thinking by letting Michael and Daviah leave on their own, but he restrained himself. It wasn’t going to help the current situation and Luke didn’t want to end up on Joy’s bad side. Despite being an alpha himself, Luke still felt like he was an omega who looked up to Joy as his superior. 

“Mom, we’re just going to see if Michael and Daviah are still there. I swear it’s not anything other than that.” A pause. “Yes, I know we should have told you but we have four of us. We’ll be fine. Yes, Ashton is with us and he’s fine. He’s gotten really good with magic. Okay, fine. We’ll call if anything goes to shit. Yeah, okay. I love you too.” 

Calum hung up the phone and looked at the three of them, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to because they had heard the conversation. Except for Ashton, but he seemed to have parsed what was being said.

“You guys don’t have to come with me. I can go on my own,” Luke said. “Pull over right now and I’ll walk there if I have to.” 

Ashton shook his head. “Quit being a dick. We’re not going to let you go alone.” Calum and Ashley nodded their agreement. “But if you could knock off the attitude I’m sure we’d all appreciate it.” 

Calum physically cringed while Luke swallowed down the desire to lash out at his best friend. Ashton was right. He was being intolerable and if he didn’t cut it out, his friends were going to get tired of it quickly. 

“Sorry,” he muttered. 

Silence fell in the truck as they reached the open highway. It was a Tuesday in the middle of the afternoon, rush hour hadn’t started. In the rear view mirror, Luke could only see the tops of Ashton’s and Calum’s heads as they leaned against each other. They didn’t whisper to one another because their conversation wouldn’t have been private, but Luke suspected they might be holding hands. He wanted to be happy for his best friend, but it was difficult when he was beside himself with worry about his own partner. Luke leaned his head against the headrest of the seat and stared ahead. At some point, evened out breathing in the backseat let him know Ashton and Calum had fallen asleep. It left him and Ashley, who kept cutting sidelong glances at him. 

“What? You keep looking at me.” 

Ashley opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, considering her words. “I just don’t know what you’re thinking,” she said finally. “You weren’t so hard to read before you became an alpha.” Luke didn’t reply. “What’s eating you? It’s not jealousy is it? Because if that’s what this is all about then I’m turning around and taking you home.”

He shook his head emphatically. “No! No, it’s not about jealousy. Something just isn’t right. I can feel it in my bones. Michael’s in trouble and he doesn’t want anyone to get involved. I don’t know how I know that, but I do.” 

Ashley bright green nails tapped rhythmically against the bottom of the steering wheel. She kept her eyes on the road but Luke could see she was thinking. Then she shook her head as if the thought weren’t important. 

“What?” he asked. “What are you thinking?” 

“Nothing. It’s not for you to worry about. I’m probably wrong anyway.” 

“Wrong about what?” 

Ashley sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, worrying at it. She was hesitant to speak her mind and Luke didn’t know why. Surely he hadn’t been so much of an asshole that she felt uncomfortable about him? 

“When Mali told you the history of werewolves did she tell you about the bond?” she asked. 

Luke tried to recall that day by the river he had spent with Mali, watching the history of werewolves play out in the reflective surface of a scrying bowl filled with water like a silent movie. That had only been a few months ago and the memory was solid, though he didn’t remember her mentioning anything about a bond. 

He shook his head. “No. She didn’t. What kind of bond?” 

“Listen, before I explain it I want you to know that I’m not saying this is what’s happening, okay? I don’t want your imagination to run away with you or anything, got it?” Luke nodded and she continued. “It’s rare...but once in awhile werewolves bond. It’s not easy to explain, and according to Mali it’s something spiritual. Something you can’t see, only feel.” 

Luke was dubious. “Are you talking like soulmates? Because I don’t believe in that crap.” 

Ashley made a face at him. “You’re a freaking werewolf but soulmates is beyond your belief capacity? Give me a break.” Luke rolled his eyes and gestured for her to go on. “Like I said, it’s rare. I think there’s only ever been a few documented pairs of bonded werewolves, but they exist. It’s not something anyone can explain. It’s not exactly a science.”

“So what exactly does it entail?” 

“I’m not exactly sure. It’s a little bit like extrasensory perception. Like you can feel what the other person is feeling. You know when they’re in trouble or when they’re struggling. That’s probably why you’ve been so stressed and didn’t even realize it.” 

“So why didn’t Mali ever mention it?” 

“Probably because she didn’t think it was necessary. Again, it’s something really rare and I’m not saying that’s what’s going on with you two. Just that it’s one possibility..” 

Luke pressed his lips into a thin line, rolling the idea around in his head. “Could that be the reason the alpha nature is so hell bent on claiming Michael?” 

“Maybe.” Ashley shrugged. “Probably.” 

Strangely, it made sense to Luke even if it made him cringe at the same time. It seemed so unbelievable, and yet he was truly beginning to believe that nothing was impossible. Werewolves weren’t supposed to exist after all, but here he was with two other werewolves and a witch in training. 

“Are all bonded pairs romantic?” he asked. 

“No. There have been pairs that were just platonic. It’s not about romantic feelings. It’s just about finding the person who completes your puzzle.”

Luke’s chest felt tight. He turned slightly in his seat so he could look into the backseat. Ashton leaned against Calum, eyes closed and looking relatively peaceful as he slept. He had never thought his puzzle was incomplete before moving to Oregon. At least not in a way that meant his life was a jumbled mess. Now Luke was realizing that it might have very much been incomplete. Ashton was his best friend and he had a loving, close faimly. But Joy's pack had also become like family to him. 

Then there was Michael. Michael, who Luke wanted to be with more than anything. Michael, who made him feel a storm of emotions he’d never thought he was capable of feeling. 

Luke wanted to fit Michael’s puzzle piece into that missing space, he just wasn’t sure if that’s what Michael wanted. Or if he was the missing piece of Michael’s puzzle as well. 

He turned his gaze on Ashley though she kept her eyes on the road. “Are you and Mali bonded?” 

“No,” Ashley shook her head. “She’s still human. Even if she was a werewolf, it wouldn’t matter if we were bonded or not. We love each other. That’s what truly matters in the end.” 

“Do you think it’s going to cause us problems? Feeling what the other feels? Knowing when things aren’t right?” 

“Only if you let it. You can learn to manage it just like you can learn to manage being an alpha. It just takes time and endurance. You’re doing a lot better, Luke. Even if you don’t realize it. You haven’t wolfed out since before the holidays.” 

Luke smiled thinly at her. As grateful as he was for the boost of confidence, he wondered if she was right. He wondered if he had taken three steps forward only to take two steps back once he saw Michael again. If they were bonded then it made sense that the alpha inside of him was so unsettled when they weren’t together. It took everything in Luke to keep it from surfacing and tearing someone or something to shreds. 

The full moon was in a couple of days, and Luke was worried about whether or not he was going to be able to suppress both the alpha and his shift at the same time. So far, one or the other had occurred much to his chagrin. 

Even so, that was at the back of his mind as he continued to mull over Ashley’s information about bonding. 

“What if we break up?” he asked. “What does that mean for the bond.” 

“Nothing as far as I know. You’ll still be bonded,” Ashley replied. “You’ll still have that connection. It just wouldn’t be romantic anymore. I told you, romanticism has little to do with the bond. Are you planning on breaking up with Michael?” 

“No!” Luke said quickly, affronted. “Of course not. Why would you even think that?” 

“Because you asked what would happen if you two broke up.” 

“It was a hypothetical question.” 

Ashley glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. “Okay, I believe you.” 

The idea of breaking up with Michael made him feel sick, and it rankled the alpha. Sometimes, it felt like he was two separate entities residing in one body. It was uncomfortable at best. The harder he tried to merge them, the more resistant the alpha became.

Michael felt like kryptonite, but Luke refused to let it make him weak. Not after what happened the last time they were truly together. He would overcome this. He had to. For all of their sake. 


	16. Chapter 16

They made it to Napa Valley in less time than predicted due to traffic being light for the majority of the trip. They had only stopped once, at a gas station off the highway, to use the bathroom and grab drinks and snacks for the rest of the ride. Luke found his appetite was mostly lacking but he forced himself to eat the high protein jerky sticks he had bought. In the backseat, Calum and Ashton shared a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the spicy scent of the powder on them filling the truck. Next to him, Ashley was driving with one hand as she devoured a lemon poppy seed muffin, seemingly indifferent to the crumbs falling onto the seat and floor. 

Ashley had turned on the radio once they got back in the truck which cut through the oppressive silence and eased Luke’s nerves. He realized it had been a long time since he had truly listened to the radio because he didn’t recognize most of the songs that were being played. Calum complained about the station being too mainstream pop but Ashley had told him he didn’t get to choose because he wasn’t driving. The rule, Luke learned, was that whoever was in the driver’s seat chose the music. Calum grumbled around a mouthful of Cheetos. 

By the time they reached the vineyard it was dark. The crime scene tape had long since been removed and a “For Sale” sign had been posted in the front yard. With no family left to bequeath the residence to, the bank had taken over management of the property until a buyer could be found. Would Lancaster have put someone from his pack who was non-familial in his will? He didn’t know. 

Luke wrapped his arms around himself as a shiver crawled down his spine. The street lights cast a blue tinted glow over the white siding of the home and elongated shadows rose up like ghosts. It would have been a lot less uncomfortable if Luke didn’t know what had happened here. Now he was glad he hadn’t joined on the first trip out here. He wasn’t sure he would have ever been able to get the sight of a murder scene out of his head. 

Silently, they ascended the stairs of the porch and each of them found a window to look through. Luke cupped his hands around his eyes to peer through the glass, but he couldn’t see anyone inside. No lights were on. No vehicles in the driveway. They weren’t here. 

“Dammit,” he hissed as he stepped away from the window. “No one’s here.” 

“Maybe they couldn’t stay at the house because it’s owned by the bank now. They could be at a motel for the night. Maybe the one we stayed at when we came down a few weeks ago?” Calum suggested. 

“It’s worth a try,” Ashley shrugged. “Two of us can go to the motel while two of us stay behind just in case.”

“Cal and I can stay behind,” said Ashton. “If they show up then we’ll call you.” 

“Right. Let’s go then.” Luke tugged at Ashley’s sleeve to hurry her along. 

They got back into the Xterra and pulled out of the driveway, Calum and Ashton growing smaller in the rear view mirror until they were out of sight. 

The drive from the vineyard to the edge of town wasn’t very long, but Luke remained anxious the whole time. He was trying to ignore the sickly feeling in his gut while silently hoping Michael was at the motel. He didn’t want to believe that it was the alleged bond between them telling him his boyfriend was in trouble. Luke wanted to believe it was just his own paranoia leaving him frayed at the edges. 

If Michael wasn’t in Napa Valley, Luke didn’t know what he was going to do or where to start looking for him. He hated it. 

  


─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


Once the tail lights of the Xterra disappeared into the night, Calum elbowed Ashton gently and gestured for him to follow. He led Ashton back up onto the porch and to the front door. 

“What are we doing?” Ashton asked. 

“I thought maybe we could take a peek inside. See if we could find anything useful while they’re checking the motel,” he replied. 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? We don’t have permission to go inside. It’s breaking and entering.” 

Normally, Calum didn’t condone committing a crime at all. But with his best friend MIA and Luke on the verge of a break down, he felt like he could justify this. Besides, they wouldn’t be in there long as he was sure there was nothing worth finding. 

Ashton eyed the door then pointed to the door knob. “Too bad there’s a lock box on it. What now?” 

Calum blinked at his boyfriend for a moment. He didn't bother to look away as he reached for the lock box and ripped it clean off the door, causing the frame to splinter. He threw the lock box into the yard and pushed the door open. 

“Come on.” 

He didn’t turn on a light because his vision was sharp enough he could see clearly, but Calum reached for Ashton’s hand to keep him close as they made their way through the foyer. Nothing looked like it had been moved or disturbed save for large white sheets that covered the furniture in the living room and den. All of the electronics and appliances had been left behind and Calum could hear the gentle hum of electricity still running through the walls. The only reasoning he could think of was that whoever was handling the property intended to have an open house for potential buyers. 

“This is a bad idea,” Ashton whispered near his ear. “What if someone who’s watching the property shows up?” 

“Then we’ll run faster than them,” he grinned over his shoulder. 

“Did you forget I’m still human?” 

“No. I’ll piggyback you.” 

Calum could practically feel Ashton’s indignation over the idea and he grinned to himself. 

They made their way up the stairs to the second floor and Calum pushed open the doors to bedrooms that were slightly ajar. Nothing looked out of place at all, and he wasn’t sure he didn’t find that a little disturbing. It was like the house was waiting for the Lancasters to come home. 

“I can’t decide if this is creepy or sad,” said Ashton softly. Calum had to agree. “Why would they keep so much personal stuff instead of donating it?” 

“No idea.” 

Calum led Ashton to the last room on the right, but when he tried to open the door it was locked. He glanced at Ashton, wondering if he would have something to say about Calum breaking the door knob to get inside. 

“May as well. We’ve already done the crime. May as well commit to it.” 

“I like the way you think,” Calum grinned, and broke the door knob off. 

He set the broken knob down on a small table just inside the door and discovered it was an office. Smaller than the one his mother had, but similar in the sense of the walls were lined with books and a desk with a computer atop it sat just before the window. The computer was on; Calum could hear the whirring of the fan inside. 

“I don’t get it,” he said, as a thought occurred to him. “This doesn’t make any sense.”

“What doesn’t make sense?” Ashton asked. 

Calum frowned. “It’s just that...I know not every pack is like mine but for the most part, pack is family and with Daviah being the only surviving member, the property ought to have gone to her. If something happened to my family, our property would automatically go to the highest ranking beta. Does that make sense?” 

“Sure,” Ashton nodded. “Because that beta would likely become the new alpha, right?” 

“Right. I know Daviah doesn’t have a pack to be the alpha of, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have inherited the property. Unless...unless she wasn’t a member of the Lancaster pack.” 

Ashton blinked at him, confused. “Wait. Why would she have been here, why would she have lied about something like that?”

“I don’t know,” Calum admitted, “but something isn’t right.”

Looking past Ashton to one of the book shelves, he caught sight of leather bound books much like the ones in his mother’s library. Records of packs and clans. Every pack had their own records and Daviah was sure to be in them if she was part of the pack. 

Calum stepped past Ashton and searched the dates on the spines that were in chronological order until he found the year Daviah would have been born. Just in case, he took out the year before as well. The records ended there. 

“Here, look through this one,” he said as he handed Ashton a book. They say on the floor with the books open in their laps, Ashton using the flashlight of his cell phone to read by, and searched for Daviah’s name. It shouldn’t have been difficult considering she was young and there wasn’t much to this record. He found nothing. “What the hell…” 

“Maybe they moved to electronic records or something?” Ashton said. “Doesn’t your mom have both?” 

“Yeah, but she updates the physical copies as well. I think for nostalgia though. Maybe Lancaster got lazy about it.” 

“Well, there’s a computer right there.” Ashton nodded toward the desk. “You could see.” 

“It’s probably got a password.” 

“Probably. If it does, then we’ll have to wait for Ashley.” 

Setting the books aside, they got up from the floor and Calum slid into the chair at the desk. He located the mouse and wiggled it a bit to wake the computer up. Blue light washed over the two of them, so bright he winced. Not because it bothered him, but because he was sure it could be seen through the window. He considered closing the curtains but they were made of such thin white cotton it wouldn’t have made a difference. 

To both of their surprise, the computer was not locked by a password. They glanced at each other curiously and Ashton shrugged. It felt like either sheer dumb luck, or intentional. Calum couldn’t decide which.

Moving the cursor along the screen, he clicked on a file on the desktop that was labeled “Records”. The file opened up to show several different folders all labeled in accordance with the books on the shelves. He clicked on the same years as the books he and Ashton had searched earlier and found nothing. 

“Dammit,” he muttered. 

“Maybe she wasn’t born into the pack,” Ashton said. “She could have joined later, right?” 

“Yeah. She could have.” Calum continued to click through files labeled after Daviah’s birth year, eyes scanning quickly through the names listed in each one until finally he found something. “Aha! Here we go.” 

He clicked open the file labeled “Daviah Sparks”, anticipation flooding his chest. But instead of a profile or any information at all, there was just two lines and an address. 

_If you found this then you know Michael’s in trouble._

_It’s my fault. I’m sorry._

_-D_

The address was for a place outside of Vancouver. Calum suddenly felt nauseated and his hand trembled slightly on the mouse. Luke had been right; Michael was in trouble and they had all blown him off. Deep down, he knew something had been wrong the entire time but he hadn’t wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe Michael would be okay, that he wouldn’t thrust himself headlong into danger. Calum knew Michael better than anyone so he didn’t have to ask why his best friend had done this. 

“He’s gone to find his father,” he murmured. “Daviah led him into a trap.” 

Ashton blanched. “Why? Why would she do that?”

“I have no idea, but if we don’t hurry Michael might not be alive when we find him.” 

“Jesus,” Ashton breathed. “Do you think she was forced to do this? Why would she have left this for us to find if she was doing this willingly?” 

Calum shook his head. “It doesn’t matter right now. We have to get Ashley and Luke back here and get home so we can go after him.” 

“I’ll make the call.” 


	17. Chapter 17

A television sat atop the dresser in the guest room. Michael sat cross legged on one of the twin beds with the remote in his hand. He was flipping through channels to find the news, intent on finding out what the police were saying about Sykes’ death. Despite the incident having been hours ago, Michael could still hear the pops of bullets being released from the chamber of the gun, he could still smell the coppery scent of blood in the air, still feel it cooling on his skin as they ran from the house. His fingers itched to grab his phone and call Luke so he could talk to him about it. So Luke could tell him that it wasn’t his fault Sykes had died. But if he turned on his phone then Ashley would be able to trace his phone and everyone would find out he had lied about returning to Napa Valley for Daviah’s belongings. 

It had already been three days. He was sure they were starting to get suspicious about his story. Hell, maybe Joy had been suspicious the whole time and just not let it shown. No, that couldn’t be right. She had worked so hard to protect him for the last two and a half years; she wouldn’t just let him walk into the lion’s den. Guilt lanced through his gut over having lied to her. Michael was still surprised he had been able to do it at all. His heartbeat had remained steady as he had asked Joy for permission to leave with Daviah. 

God, he was a terrible person. Who knew if he was even going to make it back home. There was no guarantee he would make it out of this alive. Michael had known that when he left. It was a constant niggling in the back of his mind that he attempted to ignore. But as the days passed it became harder and harder to quell. 

Michael could hear the water running through the pipes in the wall as Daviah showered. It cut off and a few moments later, Daviah came into the room in a pair of clean pajamas and her long braids pinned atop her head. She didn’t speak as she crossed the room to the second bed and crawled into it. Michael continued looking for the news channel. 

Finally, he found it and just as they were beginning the story. 

“A local man was killed this afternoon when his home was shot into,” the news anchor said. “The man was identified as fifty-five year old Malcolm Sykes. Neighbors stated that Sykes was a long time resident in the neighborhood and kept to himself. Law enforcement believes this was an isolated incident in a high crime neighborhood. There are no suspect leads at this time.” 

Images of crime scene tape flashed across the screen as the anchor spoke. A crowd had gathered outside of Sykes’ home and watched as the medical examiner and an assistant rolled a black body bag on top of a gurney toward the van. A woman named Heidi Gertz was interviewed briefly, stating that Sykes had no family she knew of and that she would often check on him because he had been terminally ill. 

Michael’s stomach felt queasy. 

“This is our fault,” he murmured. 

“No. It isn’t.” 

He looked at Daviah, flabbergasted. “How do you figure it’s not our fault. We went seeking him out knowing this was dangerous.” Michael shook his head. “You don’t get it do you? You’ve already lost everyone you love. I still have people alive. People I love who I’m putting in danger just by being here. My father is not a stupid man. He knows we’re looking for him. That’s why it’s our fault Sykes is dead. Don’t act like our motives are in any way the same, Daviah. Your motive is vengeance. Mine is to protect the people I love before they all end up like your pack.” 

Michael’s voice had risen without him meaning for it to. His breath was uneven, anger flooding through him though he wasn’t sure if he was angry with Daviah or himself. Daviah’s expression remained neutral, but he could see the hurt in her eyes and the sense the chemical signature of her emotions. Immediately, he felt guilty for lashing out at her. 

“Daviah, I’m-” 

“No,” she cut him off. Daviah stood from the bed and grabbed her phone. “You don’t get to apologize after you take your shit out on me, Michael. Especially when you have no idea what you’re talking about. You think you know me? You don’t. You have no idea why I’m doing this.” 

He tried to apologize again, but she stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her before he got the chance. 

Letting out a frustrated groan, Michael fell back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Part of him felt justified in what he had said to her, while the other part of him knew he ought to have kept his mouth shut. It didn’t matter what their individual reasons were. Only that they carried out their endgame. 

Briefly, Michael wondered if Daviah would stick around after all was said and done, or if she would leave to find another pack. 

Exhaustion washed over him and he closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the house settling. Footsteps made their way past his door and further down the hall. A door closed and silence engulfed the home. It took a long time for Michael to fall asleep, and once he did it was fitful. Dreams turned to nightmares as he tossed and turned. 

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

 

When he woke a few hours later, drenched in a cold sweat, he found that Daviah had not returned to the room. Michael wouldn’t be able to fall asleep so he dragged himself out of the too small bed and went to find her. He wanted to try to apologize again. Maybe she would accept after she'd had time to cool off. 

He crept down the hall as quietly as he could, though he assumed everyone was too deep into sleep they wouldn’t hear him. Michael stopped in the middle of the hall and listened, attempting to hear the heartbeats and even breathing through the walls of the bedrooms. He couldn’t hear anything, which was strange. It hadn’t occurred to him when they had arrived - likely because he had been trapped in his own head - that very few people stayed here. It was vastly different from the hustle and bustle of the Hood residence where pack members were in and out all the time, even at night. It felt empty in here, lacking. Michael reasoned that not every pack was like Joy’s. But then he thought about every pack he had ever known and how similar they were. 

A chill he couldn’t explain snaked down his spine and he continued through the hall and down the stairs. Michele had said her husband - the pack alpha - was away on business. So where was the rest of the pack? 

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, the living room it led into was empty. A soft glow of light shone through a set of French doors that led into the backyard. Michael could see Daviah standing on the back porch, facing toward the yard, with her phone to her ear. 

He padded across the room quietly, her distraction proving fortunate for him to attempt to eavesdrop on her conversation. Michael checked the clock on the wall and it read three o’clock. Who the hell was Daviah talking to at three in the morning? 

Keeping to the shadows, Michael pressed his back against the wall next to the doors, half covered by the curtain pushed aside. He leaned his head back against the wall and focused his hearing. Through the glass, he could hear Daviah’s voice almost clearly, but the voice on the phone was too muffled for him to make out what was being said. 

“I don’t want to do this anymore.” Daviah’s voice trembled slightly, her words thick. “No. No, that wasn’t the deal. You said you wouldn’t-” A long pause. “Fine. Just hurry up. I don’t know how long I can keep this up.” 

After he was sure Daviah had hung up the phone, Michael peeked around the curtain to find her sitting on the top step, knees drawn up and face buried against them. Her arms wrapped around her legs and he could see her shoulders trembling just slightly. Was she crying? It seemed like such a foreign concept to Michael. Even on the day they had found her on the Lancaster’s property, she hadn’t cried. She hadn’t shed a single tear since he had known her. 

Michael wasn’t a psychology student - that was Ashton’s thing - but he wondered if maybe the shock had finally worn off and Daviah was letting herself feel her loss. Or maybe she only cried when she thought she was alone. 

For several moments, Michael considered slipping back upstairs and giving Daviah her privacy. He knew he wasn’t someone who liked other people to be around when he was upset. But something about the phone conversation he’d overheard made him curious. Who has she been talking to? Why was she so upset? 

Luke’s voice niggled at the back of his mind, reminding him how much his boyfriend didn’t trust Daviah. Michael had thought it might have been jealousy at first, but perhaps he had been too quick to judge. Daviah had displayed just enough suspicious behavior for Michael to question, yet he had been so wrapped up in his own desire to rid himself of his father once and for all. 

Finally, he opened the door and stepped out into the freezing night air. He joined Daviah on the top of the step and drew his knees up against his chest. Michael waited for her to acknowledge him, sitting in silence and look up at the stars. The night was clear, the stars dimmed slightly next to the bright white moon. It was nearly full. Two more nights. He was going to try harder than ever to control his shift. 

Daviah raised her head and dug the heels of her hands into her eyes. When she took them away and looked at him, they were red and slightly puffy. “What’s up?” she asked. 

Michael shook his head. “Nothing. You didn’t come back to the room so I wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

“I’m fine,” she said roughly. 

“You’ve been crying. Are you sure?” 

Daviah didn’t reply, her eyes looking out over the backyard. Silence hung in the air for a moment. Michael was growing ever more suspicious of the woman sitting next to him. Her lack of trauma after her entire pack was killed, the text messages from an anonymous number, how quickly she had wanted to get away from Sykes’ house after he was killed. Now the phone call he had just overheard.

“Who were you talking to on the phone, Daviah?” She stiffened next to him. “The same anonymous person that sent you a bunch of text messages?” 

“You looked at my phone?”

“You left it behind when you left the hotel room. Yeah, I looked.” 

Irritation rolled off of Daviah, but Michael couldn’t find it in him to feel guilty about invading her privacy. Not when he was beginning to second guess his decisions. 

“An ex,” Daviah said flatly.

Michael narrowed his eyes at her. He almost believed she was telling the truth. Almost. Except Daviah’s mask had slipped and the faintest uptick in her heart beat gave her away. She was emotionally frayed and it the chinks in her armor were beginning to show. 

“You’re lying.” 

The atmosphere changed around them. Michael felt like invisible walls were closing in around him. His chest constricted and it was difficult to breathe. Anxiety was creeping up on him. Next to him, Daviah’s looked stricken. 

The chill that crept into his bones had nothing to do with the wintery temperatures outside. It was spawned from the fear that was rising up in him. 

“Michael, I can’t…” 

“You can’t what? Daviah, what’s going on? Where are Michele and Tori?” Michael asked, frantically. Daviah only shook her head. 

Scrambling up from the stairs, Michael burst through the French doors and charged up the stairs. He threw open each door that lined the hallway only to find empty rooms. His heart raced triple time and he had to stop, he had to _think_. No one was up here so he went back downstairs, checking any rooms he could find but Michele and Tori were gone. 

In his haste, he had left the French doors wide open. Daviah was no longer sitting on the porch. Michael caught her scent and followed it down the steps and into the backyard, his bare feet sinking in the wet grass, the jeans he had put on soaked at the bottom. 

Just as he reached the treeline, a scream tore through the night air and his heart lurched in his chest. Michael picked up speed and dashed through the trees, ignoring the branches and roots that snagged at him, leaving small cuts that would heal within seconds. 

He stopped when he reached a clearing to gather his bearings, his chest heaving not from the exertion of running but from the fear that had solidified in his gut. He was stupid, so stupid, for following Daviah on his own. He patted his pockets but he hadn’t remembered to bring his cell phone. Not that Michael was sure he would get signal out in the woods anyway and he cursed loudly. 

Then he stopped suddenly when he heard the distant sound of voices. They sounded like they were coming from everywhere. Michael wasn’t sure which direction to go in so he picked one at random and hoped it was the right way. 

This time, he was careful not to make too much sound as he weaved through the trees and vegetation of the woods. A flicker of light caught his attention and he sneaked toward it until he came to another clearing where a bonfire had been started and a circle of men and women surrounded it, each of them carrying a different kind of weapon. 

Michael hid behind a tree and peeked around it, his heart in his throat. In the center of the circle, Michele and Tori lay on the ground, unconscious. At first, Michael thought they might be dead, but over the crackle of the fire he could hear just the faintest beat of their hearts. A small flicker of relief washed through him but it guttered out a moment later when his father appeared out of the dark. A sick feeling washed over him and Michael swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. Then something even stranger happened; Daviah came into view, followed by someone that looked exactly like her. 

He gasped as his brain tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Daviah was a twin. She held tightly to her twin’s hand and Michael could see how their cheeks were tear stained. What the hell was going on? 

What was he going to do? He couldn’t take on a whole clan of hunters and two werewolves (assuming Daviah’s twin sister was in fact a werewolf), but he couldn’t leave Michele and Tori to suffer either. Michael fingers dug into the rough bark of the tree, fraught with indecision. He had no way of contacting the pack for help, but if he left now Michele and Tori would surely not survive. 

Daviah’s eyes swept over the clan of hunters and toward the tree where Michael observed. Their eyes met and her mouth pressed into a flat line for just a moment before she mouthed something to him. 

 _Run._  

Too late. 

Hands suddenly shoved him from behind and in his surprise, Michael stumbled out from behind the tree and into the clearing. He cursed himself mentally for allowing himself to get distracted to the point of not being alert of his surroundings. Something jabbed him in the spine, the cold metal of a gun muzzle and he raised his hands to show that he was unarmed. Not that it mattered since he could easily rip any of them apart with his bare hands. There were too many of them. He’d be dead before he even got the chance. 

Michael glanced over his shoulder to see who was nudging him forward and frowned deeply. “Nice to see you too, Sean.” 

“Don’t,” the man hissed. “Don’t speak to me. Just move.” 

Michael shook his head and moved as he was told until he reached the center of the fire. It felt like a vise had gripped his heart. Sean Phillips had been his friend as a child, they had grown up in the same neighborhood. Before they were old enough to start training, and ultimately forced to leave their childhood behind, they had played together. Michael, Sean and other kids from their block would spend hours outside, playing games in the woods and riding their bikes around in circles of the cul de sac. Now those memories felt like they were from another life. Someone else’s life. 

He raised his eyes to meet his father’s identical green ones and his knees felt elastic. Michael hated himself in that moment, hated how weak he felt in the presence of his father. He hated how much he hurt over the fact that all he ever wanted was his father’s approval, his love. He had gotten none of it. In retrospect, he realized that his father had never been a good man and never treated him like a father treats a son. Michael had only ever just been another minion in his clan. Another bigot to carry a weapon. 

“Hello, son.” His father’s tone was soft, his smile cruel. Michael didn’t deign to reply. “I knew I’d find you one day. You couldn’t hide from me forever, but I really do have to thank Daviah for all of her help. If not for her, we wouldn’t have had the...opportunity for this little reunion.” 

Michael’s eyes cut to Daviah and the sick feeling of betrayal finally began to set in. She had betrayed him and he couldn’t even say he was surprised. There had always been something not right about her eagerness to find her pack’s killer. Was she even part of the Lancaster pack? Was her twin? 

“Michael,” she said, her voice shaky. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry.” 

He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t upset. He felt nothing but a tragic numbness flow through him. Michael felt stupid for believing that he could ever come here and come out on top. 

“Why’d you do it, Daviah?” He already knew the answer. He was smart enough to piece the puzzle together. 

“My sister,” she sobbed softly. “They took her, threatened to kill her if I didn’t bring you to them.” 

Michael studied her for a moment before he let his eyes wander around the group of hunters, looking for the weakest link in their chain. He could probably outrun them easily, but the hunters with guns are what made him the most nervous. All of them had been trained like snipers in the military. They were perfect shots. Never missed. Even if it was a moving target. 

But he couldn’t justify forfeiting his life. 

“Don’t do it,” Daryl Clifford growled. “You won’t even make it out of the clearing. If you run then you’ll be killing your entire pack.” That got Michael’s attention. “Oh yes, I know all about them. Do you want their blood on your hands, Michael? No, I suspect not. You love them too much. Especially the tall blond. It’s disgusting.” 

Michael’s hands curled into fists, nails biting into the flesh of his palms. The calm exterior was slipping and his eyes flashed a bright yellow. “Don’t you talk about any of them. You’re the one that’s disgusting. You’re a sociopath. You kill for the sport and nothing else. I swear to God, if you hurt any of them I’ll find a way to make you pay.” 

Any sign of amusement or twisted joy Daryl had melted from his features. His mouth set into a line and his eyes narrowed. When he spoke, his words were cold. 

“Too bad you won’t have any choice in the matter.” 

Michael cried out as something sharp stuck him in the side of the neck. His hand flew to the spot and he pulled out a dart. It was the same kind of dart he had used on Matthew Stone months ago when he’d gone to find Luke at the warehouse. It only took seconds before his body went numb and he slumped to his knees, his fingers and toes tingling as the paralytic took control. Someone was screaming, Daviah he thought, but she sounded far away. Michael sucked in a last breath of air before everything went dark. 


	18. Chapter 18

Blind rage had taken over when Calum told him about the note they had found from Daviah. He had put his fist through three out of four walls in the office, ignoring the pain that radiated up his arm from a broken hand that was still healing two hours into their trip back home. The alpha inside of him was taut like a guitar string. It felt like he was pacing back and forth in the cage of Luke’s mind. With it being so close to the full moon, Luke had expected to struggle but it was so much worse without Michael nearby. He felt uncomfortably warm despite the heat not being on in the vehicle, and he pressed his forehead to the cool glass of the passenger window.

The silence within the Xterra was deafening. No one spoke. They hardly even breathed. Luke knew it was his fault. His friends were worried that a misstep might set him off again, like an explosive ready to detonate. He felt awful about it, but he also didn’t know how to stop it either. 

Luke tried to recall all of the meditative techniques Mali had taught him. He tried to find that place in his mind that would untangle his chaotic thoughts and offer him peace. It felt very, very far away at the moment. 

Another hour into the trip and Luke couldn’t take being in the truck anymore.

“Pull over,” he demanded. Ashley cut a glance at him, eyebrow raised. “Pull over, please.” 

She pulled into the parking lot of Anchor Beach Inn and put the vehicle in park. The hotel was situated just off the road and on a beach. Luke got out of the truck and walked out onto the sand. The beach was empty because of the cold weather, but Luke didn’t even feel it. He breathed in the briny air and tilted his head back, eyes closed. The chill breeze swept over him, and gentle waves lapped against the shore. He had just needed to breathe, needed to get out of the enclosure of the truck. 

Luke didn’t know what his next plan of action was. After he had calmed down, Calum suggested they go back home to talk to his mother. He had wanted to argue and insist they didn’t have time for that. Michael was in trouble and they needed to find him as soon as possible, even considered going to find Michael on his own. But what chance did he have against an entire hunter clan? An alpha he may be, but one that was still learning how to _be_ an alpha. It was a reality that he still had trouble accepting. How could he really be an alpha when he had no pack? Not really. 

The sand shifted behind him and Ashton’s scent mingled with the sea air. It was a comfortable scent, familiar, and he glanced at his friend who had come to stand next to him. Ashton rocked back on his heels, hands in the pockets of his jacket. Sometimes he forgot Ashton was still human and would need such an article of clothing. 

A long silence stretched between them as they looked out over the colorless ocean, a reflection of the gray sky above. Finally, he broke it. 

“Ashley thinks Michael and I might be bonded.” 

Ashton didn’t respond right away, though Luke could feel practically hear his brain working through that statement. 

“It’s apparently a rare thing. Why does she think that?” 

Luke shrugged. “She said she’s not sure, but I guess some of the things going on with me tipped her off. But there are so few bonded werewolves that it’s not exactly a science.” 

“What do you think?” Ashton asked. 

“I don’t know. I can barely wrap my head around being an alpha in the first place much less being bonded with Michael. What I do know is that I can feel he’s in trouble. I feel it deep down and it almost hurts.” Luke shivered. He wrapped his arms around his body for the comfort of it. “It’s like...I can almost feel what he’s feeling. The anxiety and the fear. I think he’s gone to find his father.” 

“Why? Why would he do that? Why would Daviah do that if she wasn’t even part of the Lancaster pack. It doesn’t make any sense.” 

Luke’s jaw tightened. “Because I think she led him into a trap. She wouldn’t have left a clue for us to find if not, even if she did it out of guilty conscience. This is her fault.” 

“Luke,” Ashton sighed. “I’m not saying you’re wrong and I’m definitely not saying you weren’t right about not trusting Daviah, but I think you have to keep in mind that Michael is capable of making his own decisions. He didn’t have to go with her. He chose to. I doubt she held a gun to his head and forced him to go.” 

He bristled. The alpha wanting to lash out at Ashton for no other reason than being logical. Luke knew what his friend said was true. Michael was an adult, and he made his own choices. But he couldn’t help but feel like he might not have gone off half-cocked if Daviah hadn’t encouraged him. 

“I just want to know why he lied,” Luke murmured. “Why did he feel like he had to lie to me? To everyone?” He couldn’t hide the hurt in his words. 

Ashton chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. “Maybe he was trying to protect you. If you two are so intrinsically connected...then it makes sense he would want to keep you away from the danger that is his dad.” 

Luke turned his eyes away from the ocean and toward Ashton. Ashton didn’t return his gaze and he studied his best friend’s profile. It occurred to him then just how much their lives had changed. How much they had changed as people. A few months ago, they were merely kids ready for their first year of college with all the vibrancy of being carefree. Now as he looked at Ashton, he could see just how much older he seemed. And if Ashton had changed then he knew he had as well. Their lives were not the simplicity they had expected. The world was so much bigger than either of them could have understood until now. 

Now more than ever, Luke needed to figure this out. He needed to get in control of what he was before it got out of hand. Michael and Ashton needed him to be a proper alpha, and he needed them to be a reminder that he wasn’t alone. 

Drawing in a steadying breath, Luke nodded to himself, an affirmation that he was going to be the best alpha he could be. 

“Let’s go home.”   


─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

The sun was sinking behind the trees as they pulled into the driveway of the Hood residence. After a six hour drive, all of them were happy to be out of the car. Luke groaned faintly as he stretched his long legs and rubbed the blood back into them. He grabbed his backpack from the floor and slung it over his shoulder. Calum and Ashley led the way up the porch and into the house where they were greeted by Mali in the foyer. 

“Hey sis,” Calum said, giving his sister a one-armed hug. “Where’s mom?” 

“Up in the office.” Mali worried at the inside of her cheek. She seemed a little nervous. “Luke, I think you should go up.”

He blinked at her, confused as to why he ought to go see Joy. Surely if Joy was going to lecture them she would do it all at once instead of separately to save herself the trouble. 

“Okay…” he said slowly. He shot a look at Ashton who just shrugged. 

An ominous feeling settled in his bones as he took the stairs slowly up to Joy’s office. When he reached the door, he stopped with his hand on the knob and listened. Low voices were speaking almost softly enough that he couldn’t make out the words. But he recognized all three of those voices, two of which he had been listening to for nearly nineteen years. 

Luke flung the door open and froze at the sight of his parents, each settled in a chair before Joy’s desk, as they turned around to look at him. His mother’s eyes were swollen and red from crying and his father looked...afraid. Luke’s heart jumped into his throat, effectively cutting off any attempt at speech. He stared at his parents and they stared back. The moment stretched on for what felt like hours until finally his mother stood from the chair and crossed the room. 

She didn’t speak, only wrapped her arms around him and held onto him tightly. A soft sob escaped her, and Luke could feel her tears wet his shirt. He didn’t know what to do or what to say. His father had leaned forward in his chair, head in his hands. 

Finally, he looked to Joy, who looked forlorn. What was happening? 

“Mom?” he asked, his hands came up to rest against her back. “What are you guys doing here?” 

It took Liz Hemmings a moment to compose herself and she looked up at him with tear-stained cheeks. “We came because we got a letter from the university. You’re failing your classes, Luke.”

It felt like the world was tipping on its axis. In the back of his mind, he had known he wasn’t doing well in his classes. He just hadn’t been able to bring himself to acknowledge it. It had been weeks and weeks since he’d checked his grades online. He hadn’t wanted to know how miserably he was doing. 

Luke understood his parents were upset, but it felt like a massive overreaction. Something else was causing the fear that wrapped around his parents like ribbons. 

“But why are you _here_?” He meant why were they in Joy’s office. 

This time, his father spoke as he rose from his chair. “Because Lauren told us everything.” 

Blood rushed in Luke’s ears. His father’s voice sounded like he was under water. Lauren had told them everything? What did ‘everything’ entail? How did Lauren know anything. Ashton. Of course, Ashton must have told his sister when they had gone home for break. Fuck. Why would he have done that? 

Because Ashton didn’t have anyone else he could talk to about this, he thought. 

Anger warred with understanding. Luke didn’t want to be angry at Ashton for talking to his sister though part of him felt like it wasn’t only Ashton’s story to tell. But he also knew Lauren who would never have told his parents something like this unless she was concerned for him. Lauren and Harry were as much his siblings as his own brothers. If Lauren had overheard his parents talking to Anne Marie then it was no wonder she’d told them what she knew. 

And his parents would have believed her because they knew about Dorian and the Belmont pack. They were _related_ to them. 

Joy stood from her desk and walked around it. “I’ll give the three of you some time to talk.” 

Luke smiled dimly as she left the room, then turned his gaze back on his parents. His mother was barely keeping herself together. 

“So...you know everything, huh?” 

Andrew Hemmings nodded curtly. “We do. Why didn’t you tell us, Luke?” 

He looked at his father helplessly. “What was I supposed to say, dad? Hey, Merry Christmas. Oh, by the way, I’m a fucking werewolf?” 

“Don’t use that word in front of me,” his mother snapped. Luke frowned, feeling chastised. “Everyone just needs to breathe so we can talk through this.” 

Luke had to fight the urge not to roll his eyes. He moved across the room and over to the wing back chairs in the corner of the room and flopped into one of them. His mother took the second one, and his father pulled one of the chairs from in front of Joy’s desk over as well. 

This was not how he had wanted his parents to find out. He hadn’t wanted them to know he was failing his classes, but of course the school sent a letter home. His parents were paying for what his students loans didn’t cover. 

“I guess that means I’m on academic probation,” he muttered. 

“I think academic probation is the least of your problems right now, pal.” His father frowned deeply. “Why wouldn’t you tell us that Dorian Belmont found you?” 

The name still managed to send a shiver down Luke’s spine and he looked from his father, to his mother and back again. “Why did you lie to me my entire life?” he asked. “Why wouldn’t you have told me the truth about our family. Jack and Ben knew.” 

“You’re right, they did.” Andrew sighed softly. “But they found out on accident. I would never have told them either if Dorian hadn’t darkened our doorstep all those years ago. I never in a million years thought he would come back or that he’d go after one of my children. I had no idea he had lost himself so completely. When I heard about what happened to the pack I…” He trailed off and shook his head. 

Luke felt a bite of guilt and it softened the resentment he felt toward his parents at the moment for having kept such crucial information from him. 

“I’m so sorry, Luke. I thought I was doing my best to protect you by making sure you didn’t know about the Belmonts, and that they never knew about you. Your mother and I left the pack a long time ago because it wasn’t safe. We wanted to raise you boys as normal, happy kids. Neither of us had the gene so we knew we didn’t have to worry about passing it on to you or your brothers.” Andrew reached for his wife’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Now you know why your mom’s always been so protective of the three of you. We’ve only ever wanted to keep you safe, and I guess now we know that keeping you ignorant was the wrong way to do that.” 

Though he didn’t say it, he agreed with the sentiment. Luke understood his parents had wanted to protect him. He had never doubted their love for him and his brothers, or what they had sacrificed to make sure the three of them were happy and healthy. But he was an adult now and he wished his parents would have told him, even if he was just a warning. He could have been more prepared. He might not have ended up a werewolf at all. 

But if he had not become a werewolf he wasn’t sure he would have the relationship with Michael that he did now. 

Luke drew in a breath. “So you know I’m a werewolf now. An alpha.” He wasn’t ready to forgive his parents just yet. It was the part of him that was still just eighteen years old and wanted to be a brat. “Jack and Ben know as well.” 

“We know,” Liz said softly. “We called them both after we talked with Lauren. They tried to cover for you, but none of you boys have ever been good liars. Not even over the phone.” 

That was true. Even when he’d tried to lie as a kid, his guilty conscience had him confessing his sins twenty minutes later. 

“How did you find out about Joy and her pack?” 

“Lauren knew Calum was a werewolf a well. It wasn’t hard to find her. Joy Hood seems to be rather influential in Eugene,” said Andrew. “She knew exactly who we were and why we were here. She said she’d been expecting the day to come that we would find out.” 

Luke deflated slightly. He had known he couldn’t keep it a secret from his parents forever, but he wished he had been able to tell them in his own time. Not because he was flunking out of college. A sticky feeling of shame slithered through his veins because even if he was an alpha, the people sitting before him were still his parents. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I never meant to worry you. I don’t want to be a disappointment.” 

Liz shook her head emphatically. “No, Luke, you’re not a disappointment. You never could be. Your dad and I are always proud of you. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. It’s all very...scary…” 

Luke wasn’t sure ‘scary’ was the word he would use for it. Absolutely terrifying, maybe. 

“It’s not been easy,” he admitted, “but Joy and Mali have been helping me since I turned. They’ve been so good to me.” 

“I’m sure they have,” said his mother, “but your dad and I are going to stay here in Eugene for a few days. Joy has been kind enough to offer us the in-law apartment while we stay. We want to make sure you’re okay, Luke.” 

He shook his head immediately. Luke didn’t have time to sit around and soothe his parents when Michael was somewhere doing Gods knew what. He hated that his parents spent money they really didn’t have to come out here just to check on him, but he couldn’t leave Michael to face his father alone. 

“I have to go,” he said. “Michael went after his dad and he’s in trouble. I can feel it.” 

His parents shared a look. “What do you mean you can feel it?” his dad asked. 

“I don’t know how to explain it. I just know he’s in trouble. I know he’s afraid. It’s like...it’s like we’re connected.” As much as he hadn’t wanted to believe it at first, it had been on his mind ever since Ashley had brought it up. What else could it be? Why did he know so certainly that Michael was in trouble or that he was afraid. “I have to find him.” 

Liz and Andrew were quiet for several moments, communicating silently as they looked at each other. It irked Luke just as much now as it had when he was a kid because he was not privy to the conversation. 

“Michael is the boy you spent all of Christmas break texting?” Liz asked. Luke simply nodded. “And he’s gone to find his dad because…?” 

“Because his dad is a hunter and wants him dead. Michael was a hunter before he was turned.” 

He wasn’t sure if he ought to have told his parents that secret. It was Michael’s, not his, but he couldn’t lie to them either. 

Andrew sucked in a breath. “What if we tell you that you need to stay right here and not get involved?” 

“I’m gonna do it anyway because Michael needs me,” Luke said firmly. “I love him.” 

He hadn’t meant to say the last part, but it had slipped past his tongue like water in a sieve. His parents didn’t even look surprised though Luke felt his cheeks grow hot. 

They looked at each other again, communicating in that annoying way once again before his mother said, “Well, I guess we can’t stand in your way then. You have to make choices for yourself.” 

“Remember that we’re here for you, Luke. This isn’t the life we wanted for you, not at all, but the hand has been dealt. You’re still our son and we love you more than anything. Alpha werewolf or not.” 

Luke smiled softly, his heart swelling slightly. He felt ridiculous for thinking that his parents would ever reject him or deny him for being a werewolf. They had always been there for him. Time and again, they had proven what amazing parents they were. 

Andrew Hemmings stood and Drew Luke and Liz into a hug. Luke pressed his face against his dad’s shoulder and breathed in deeply. His dad smelled like home and Luke sorely needed that bit of comfort at the moment.

He didn’t know what was going to happen when he found Michael. Everything felt so precarious since he had turned and he was teetering on the edge. If something happened to him, he wanted his parents to know how much he loved them. 

So he held them tighter and said, “I love you guys so much.”


	19. Chapter 19

Ashton was a bundle of anxiety as he paced at the bottom of the stairs. Though it had been less than an hour since Luke had gone upstairs, and he and Calum learned it was because Luke’s parents were there, he felt like it had been ages. Luke’s parents would not have come all the way to Oregon if not for a reason. What if they had found out the truth? What if they made Luke leave school and come home? What if Luke’s brothers had told their parents about the whole mess with Dorian? There were a hundred scenarios whipping through his head, and not one of them brought Ashton any comfort. He had to actively keep himself from chewing his fingernails off while he waited for Luke to emerge from Joy’s office. 

It wasn’t until he felt a hand on the small of his back that he stilled. And then Calum’s arms were wrapped around him, lips pressed to the back of his neck. Ashton shivered from the warm breath against his skin and his fingertips slid along Calum’s forearms wrapped around his waist. He leaned back against his boyfriend and closed his eyes, drawing the comfort of Calum around himself. Things had been off kilter since Michael had taken off, and he had been so worried about Luke he hadn’t asked Calum how he was feeling. It hadn’t been that long since Calum’s panic attack in the theater and the affirmation of their feelings. He felt like a terrible boyfriend. 

Turning around, Ashton cupped Calum’s face in his hands and kissed him gently. “Hey,” he said softly.

“Hey.” 

“Are you okay?” 

Calum nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“I just want to make sure. I feel like I haven’t been there for you. I know you’re still grieving.” Ashton let his fingers slide through the dark locks of Calum’s hair. “I know things are nuts right now, but I’m still here, okay?” 

“I never doubted that. I miss my dad, but he’s gone and I have to accept that. I know that. Especially when it’s like every time we turn around there’s a new threat to take care of.” Calum nuzzled into Ashton’s neck. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” 

It wasn’t the first time they had said that to each other, yet it sent a delicious thrill down Ashton’s spine. He couldn’t foresee a day when those words wouldn’t have that same effect on him. They had cultivated a relationship over the past two years, even over such a long distance. Ashton felt the same about Calum now that he was tangible that he had before he came to Oregon. The only way in which it was different was that Ashton could touch him, kiss him, breathe in his scent. Every time Calum touched him it was like electricity moving through his nerves. It kept him grounded while at the same time let him soar free. Ashton could wrap himself up in the way he felt about Calum, about how Calum felt about him, and be completely content to never leave the comfort of it. 

Ashton kissed Calum’s lips gently, then rested his forehead against Calum’s. He closed his eyes and kept his breathing soft. The silky strands of Calum’s hair, which had grown a little longer over the past few months, slid between his fingers. 

“Whatever happens, I’m here for you,” he said. “You know that right?” 

“I know.” Calum pulled Ashton closer. “I know.” 

The door to Joy’s office opened and three sets of footsteps tread the floor. Ashton pulled away from Calum as Luke came down the stairs, followed by his parents. Liz drew him into a tight hug. 

“It’s good to see you,” she said. “I’m glad you’re safe.” 

“Of course I am,” Ashton shot Luke a confused look over Liz’s shoulder. “Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“They know,” Luke frowned. “Everything.” 

Ashton felt his heart flip over in his chest. Luke’s parents knew about everything that had happened since they came to school. Which meant his mother knew as well. 

“Your mom wanted to come,” said Liz. “She couldn’t get the time off work.” 

“How?” He asked around the lump in his throat. 

“Lauren.” 

Ashton blanched. Their conversation at Christmas as they stood in the freezing air played through his head. He shouldn’t have told her. It hadn’t been his secret to tell. Not completely. But Ashton did know his sister, and he knew she would never have told anyone unless there was a good reason. 

Even so, he felt like he had betrayed Luke in some way. He couldn’t tell if Luke was angry at him right now. It was one of those times when Ashton felt so inexplicably human, and he resented it. 

“I’m sorry, Luke. I shouldn’t have told her everything, but at the time it was all just building up. I trust my sister, and I know she would never have said anything if it wasn’t for a reason.” 

Luke shook his head. “I’m not mad, Ash. She told my parents because I’m failing my classes. They called Ben and Jack and well…” he gestured with his hand as if to say ‘you know how that goes’. “I don’t blame Lauren or you for that.” 

Ashton felt some relief wash over him. Luke wasn’t angry. He didn’t even look angry, just exhausted. He looked to Luke’s parents, people who had been a second family to him his whole life, and offered an apologetic smile. 

“Sorry I wasn’t more honest with you guys. The whole thing’s been kinda...messy,” he said. 

Andrew shook his head, clapping a hand on Ashton’s shoulder. “You and Luke have always been thick and thieves. How could we expect any less even now?” 

“But you should call your mom,” Liz added. “She’s worried about you.” 

Ashton nodded. He didn’t even know where his phone was. In his bag, probably. He would have to find it soon and call his mom and siblings to let them know he was okay. If he knew his family at all, there were fifty missed calls and text messages. 

A squeeze to his hand reminded him that Calum was still by his side and he glanced to his boyfriend. “I’m going to go talk to my mom about Michael. Give you guys some time to catch up.” He kissed Ashton’s cheek gently before disappearing into the kitchen. 

Mali came into the room a moment later with a key and showed Liz and Andrew to the attached apartment. Ashton and Luke followed, sitting on the small sofa across from the bed as his parents settled into their room. It had been a long day with the drive back from Napa Valley, and the emotional drama of learning Michael was being led into some kind of trap and drained them all. 

He leaned against Luke lightly, and he stifled a yawn. He listened as Luke explained to his parents about Daviah and the Lancaster pack, about how she had told them she was the only surviving member. He told them about how Michael and Daviah seemed to connect over a common enemy, Michael’s father, and how they had just learned Daviah wasn’t who she said. It sent a chill down Ashton’s spine. They still didn’t know who Daviah was or what her motive entailed. Only that she had managed to give Michael that last nudge he’d needed to stepping into a dangerous situation. 

Luke’s parents seemed less than thrilled with the idea of either of them participating in a rescue mission for Michael, but they didn’t try and stop them. Ashton thought that was particularly wise of them because there was nothing short of the world ending that was going to stop Luke from finding Michael. Ashton noticed that Luke left out the part about him possibly being bonded. Probably for the best considering no one seemed to know too much about it, and Luke had yet to talk with Joy. 

Whatever happened, Ashton hoped that Luke didn’t lose himself. 

  
  


─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 

Every seat at the large farm table in the dining room was filled. On one side, Luke sat between his parents with Ashton, Calum and Mali on the other side. At the head of the table was Joy and opposite of her was Ashley, computer screen casting a bluish glow over her features. Her gel nails tapped rhythmically over the keyboard as she attempted to track Michael’s phone. The frown on her face did nothing to quell Luke’s rising restlessness. 

They were working on a plan to track down Michael, and they had started with the last place they knew Daryl Clifford to have resided just outside of Boulder, Colorado. When Ashley checked the property appraiser’s website, they learned the house had been sold a year ago. Luke didn’t want to discredit using it as a lead; however, in case the current homeowners knew anything about where Daryl had gone. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the man had gone completely off the grid after Michael had turned. 

The last place Michael’s phone was able to be tracked was near Seattle, and then he had turned it off. Daviah’s number was untraceable. 

“What about that guy that was kicked out of his clan?” Calum asked his mother. “What was his name?” 

“Malcolm Sykes,” she replied. “Just because he was banished doesn’t mean he’s going to be inclined to help us. No one is sure what clan he even belonged to, only that it was quite a big deal when it happened.” 

Mali added, “Because he refused to kill innocent werewolves.”

“That’s the story,” Joy confirmed. “The last I heard he had settled somewhere in Washington, possibly Idaho. Can you use your search matrix to find him, Ashley?” 

“Yeah, but why would they seek out Malcolm Sykes?” she asked. 

“Because Malcolm Sykes still keeps track of clans and it’s possible he may have information on Daryl Clifford.” 

Luke could tell Ashley wasn’t confident that this was a lead, but she tapped away at the keyboard and entered the name into the search matrix. Several minutes later, Luke was squirming in his seat with impatience. 

“Jesus, how many Malcolm Sykes exist in the world? What’s taking so long?” he demanded.

“Patience, young padawan,” Ashley lilted. “It’s just a software program. It can only go so fast.” 

Luke slumped in his chair, chastened. Beneath the table he felt his mother grip his knee comfortingly and he offered a weak smile. The longer they sat around the table making a plan, the more trouble Michael might find himself in. He was attempting to ignore the bone deep ache he felt in Michael’s absence, and the nagging voice in the back of his head that told him to move quickly. The alpha coiled inside of him like a snake ready to strike. If Luke didn’t find a way to take control of the creature within there was no hope of them rescuing Michael without bloodshed. He didn’t want to kill anyone. He didn’t think the part of him that was still so very human could handle it. 

“Got something!” 

He was grateful when Ashley spoke, her eyes narrowing on the screen as she clicked through the search results. 

All of them sat with bated breath waiting for Ashley to speak. When she did it, was preceded with a heavy sigh. “He’s dead.” 

“What?” came a chorus of voices. 

“What do you mean?”

“When?”

“How?” 

Ashley shook her head. “He was shot in his home. The police are saying it was a drive by. Apparently, Sykes lived in a high crime area in Spokane and was shot three times. No one else was harmed.” She worried at the inside of her cheek as she clicked a few more times. “I’ve hacked into the coroner’s database. The coroner’s report released to the media has a lot of redacted information. According to this, he was shot three times from a long distance. The bullets are silver hollow point rounds used in-”

“Sniper rifles,” Ashton interrupted. Everyone’s eyes alighted on Ashton and he shrugged. “What? I read a lot.” 

“That’s a little scary, babe,” Calum chided. 

“Anyway,” Ashley barked, annoyed. “They found no other evidence at the scene, but I don’t know any street thugs that use sniper rifles. Do you?” Everyone shook their heads collectively. She turned her computer around so they could see the picture of the bullets found on scene. “And I don’t know any thugs that would use engraved bullets.”

Calum gasped as he looked at the picture, and Luke could sense the anxiety rolling off of him. “The engravement is a clan crest. Daryl’s clan crest.” 

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as everyone attempted to digest the information. No one said the obvious, which was Michael and Daviah had found Sykes and he been murdered by Daryl Clifford. 

“Why would he be so careless?” Luke asked after a moment, his voice soft. 

“Because he isn’t trying to be discreet,” Joy answered, shaking her head. “He’s leaving calling cards, trying to lure Michael to him. It’s worked, unfortunately, and if Daviah is in fact working for Daryl then we need to make haste.” 

“You don’t think,” Calum swallowed. “You don’t think he’d really kill Michael do you? His own son?” 

Joy’s frown deepened. “The laws for hunters are concrete, Calum. You know that.”

“What rules?” Luke asked, panic rising in his chest. 

Joy seemed to hesitate before she continued. “When a hunter is bitten, their law mandates that said hunter is to take their own life before they turn. They believe it is better to sacrifice oneself than to live as a monster.” 

“It’s a completely ridiculous and archaic practice,” Andrew Hemmings shook his head. “I can’t believe any hunter clan would still subscribe to such a thing, but they do. The laws haven’t changed.” 

“But Michael didn’t kill himself,” Luke said. “So his father plans to kill him?” 

“Because Michael refused to take his own life, he broke their law. It’s a great sign of weakness and a grave insult to his clan,” Mali explained. “Daryl Clifford may give Michael one more chance to right his wrong, but if Michael refuses then that is likely what he plans to do.” 

Luke was up and out of his seat so fast it tipped over and hit the ground with a loud thud. He ignored the voices calling him back to the kitchen and tore up the stairs to Michael’s room where he had left his backpack and jacket earlier. He couldn’t think about anything other than how much he needed to get to Michael, how much he needed to find him before Michael’s father could hurt him. 

The alpha thrashed excitedly with anticipation, and Luke had to force the temperamental nature down. “I am in control,” he muttered to himself. “Not the beast. I have a mind and a heart. I am human and animal. I am in control.” It was a mantra he had created weeks ago with Mali encouragement. It hadn’t seemed to work every time Luke used it, but now more than ever he had to be the one in control. So he repeated it to himself as he emerged from the room and descended the stairs. 

He was at the door with his hand on the knob when his mother’s voice said, “Luke Robert Hemmings, stop right now!” 

Luke froze. Even the alpha seemed subdued by the demand in his mother’s voice, and that was entirely disconcerting. He turned to his mother and his hand slid off the door. 

“You said you wouldn’t try and stop me.” 

“I’m not, but you can’t go running after a hunter clan by yourself. I understand that you’re an alpha. I also understand you love Michael, but you can’t do this alone. What good are you going to be to Michael if you’re dead?” 

Her words resonated deep inside of Luke. She was right. He was going off half-cocked and it was more likely to put him in an early grave than see him come out the other side. An alpha he was, but an inexperienced one. Luke needed a pack at his side, willing to fight for Michael just as much as he was. He knew Joy, Calum and Ashley would be right by his side because even if the rest of the pack didn’t trust Michael, they did. They loved him as if he were family. 

Liz came over to Luke and wrapped him in a hug. “I love you so much. Please, be careful.” 

“I will, Mom.” Ashton and Calum came into the room, and Luke looked at them sadly. “Sorry,” he murmured. “I just...I have to find him.” 

“We know, Luke,” said Ashton. “We want to help you.” 

“Did you think we’d leave him to his dad? He’s my best friend,” Calum said. “We’re going to find him. I promise. Mom’s already rallying the troop.” 

Luke smiled faintly, his hands finding their way to Calum’s and Ashton’s shoulders to give them a grateful squeeze. “Then let’s go find our boy.” 

A sudden knock on the front door surprised all of them, and everyone exchanged a curious glance. Calum stepped around Luke and Ashton and reached for the door, pulling it open. 

On the other side was Daviah. 

Luke tensed, the alpha growling inside of him. It took all of his will power to keep himself from baring his teeth at the girl. He wanted to sink his teeth into her throat, taste her blood on his tongue because only then would the alpha be satisfied. 

_ I am in control, not the beast. I have a mind and a heart. I am human and animal. I am in control.  _

The mantra moved through his mind and with all his might, he forced the alpha to quiet and settle. He would not allow it to harm Daviah, even if she deserved it. 

It was with a clearer head that Luke noticed that the scent of the girl was not the same as Daviah’s. And he could see the nuances in this girl that he hadn’t before. She looked almost exactly like Daviah, except her hair was straight instead of braided, her cheekbones just a little higher and her eyes a lighter brown. 

“Are you Luke Hemmings?” she asked, looking directly at him. Luke nodded. “I came here because Michael is in trouble.”

“Who are you,” he asked softly. 

“Devina LeRoux. Daviah’s twin sister.”


	20. Chapter 20

Michael woke to his head throbbing and his mouth as dry as parchment paper. He had never had a hangover before. By the time he was old enough to take any kind of interest in drinking, he was already a werewolf and his metabolism filtered the alcohol too quickly to cause inebriation. But if Michael had to guess what a hangover felt like, this would be it. There was a deep ache in his bones, and his thoughts were muddy. It took several seconds before he recognized other sensations; the tingling in the tips of his fingers, the burning sensation all over his body that made him want to peel his skin off. His body felt leaden, but he managed to lift his head and open his eyes. His vision was blurry as an effect from the mistletoe dart, and he blinked several times to try and clear them so he could see properly. 

He realized that he was in a warehouse, the high glass windows at the top of the building a brilliant orange in the setting sun. The cement beneath him was cold and dusty, and the scent of mildew and rotted wood filled his nose, but beneath that was a scent that Michael realized all too well. Wolfsbane. 

Even that didn’t disturb him as much as the realization that not only was he inside an abandoned ware, but in a cage as well. 

The cage was a seven by seven square with thick round bars with barely enough space to move around. Michael reached out to wrap his hand around one of the bars, intent to break it away from the cement where it was anchored into the cement, and hissed when his palm suddenly felt like it was on fire. He drew his hand back quickly, turning it palm up so he could inspect the damage. The bars were steel encased in silver. Michael ought to have suspected that, but his head was still murky and it was difficult to string together a coherent thought.

Michael watched and waited for his skin to heal, and when it didn’t he sucked in a sharp breath. 

“Wolfsbane.” 

The voice startled him and Michael wrenched his eyes up toward the direction it had come from. Only a few feet away, another cage was erected and inside of it was Daviah. Michael cursed as he cradled his burnt hand against his chest. 

“They’re diffusing it into the room to keep us weak.” 

That explained why Michael felt so muddled, and why his hand wasn’t healing. Ingesting the wolfsbane sapped their abilities, and long term exposure to it would eventually kill a werewolf. It was ironic to think a slow, painful death would be the way Daryl Clifford chose to dispose of his son. If the circumstances weren’t so dire, Michael might have laughed. He wondered how many hours had passed that they had been ingesting the wolfsbane, and how many hours they had left before it killed them. 

“Why are you here?” he asked. He sat in the middle of the cage, careful not to accidentally touch the bars. “Did my dear old dad decide you weren’t useful to him anymore?” 

Daviah didn’t respond and Michael felt his irritation rise. She owed him an explanation and he wanted answers. No, he wanted the truth. She had lied about everything, and he had foolishly went along with her despite his better judgement. He had been too focused on his endgame for it to matter, and now he was stuck in a cage, slowly dying. 

All the signs had been there, yet he had ignored them. 

“Why did you lie? Why didn’t you tell me you were a twin? Are you even part of the Lancaster pack?” 

Nothing.

“Answer me, goddammit,” he shouted, his hands slamming against the bars. He was going to die anyway so what did it matter if he couldn’t heal? “You owe me that.”

Daviah drew in a shaky breath and lifted her head, but she didn’t look at Michael. Instead she looked up at the ceiling. “No, I wasn’t part of the Lancaster pack. My sister and I are rogues. Packless werewolves.” 

“I know the term,” he muttered. Rogues were lone wolves that were either banished from their packs or chose to leave. The number of rogues wasn’t high because it was dangerous to be without a pack. They were easily hunted or killed because they wandered onto the territory of an aggressive alpha. Joy had always insisted on safety in numbers, which was why no one ever went on a mission alone. “That’s how my father found you?” 

“Yeah. Devina and I have been on our own for almost three years. We never stay in once place for long to make sure our former alpha doesn’t find us. I wanted to protect Devina. I  _ needed _ to protect her, but clearly I’ve fucked that up in the long run. I couldn’t stop her from being snatched by Daryl’s clan, and when I caught up with them, after they strung me along for weeks, he offered me an ultimatum. Bring you to him, or watch my twin die in front of me. I chose my sister,” Daviah explained. 

Michael shifted uncomfortable as Daviah fell quiet. There were still so many things left unanswered, and he didn’t know what questions to ask first. He wanted to be angry with Daviah. He wanted to hate her, but he wasn’t sure he could. She had made a choice that anyone in her position would have: she chose her sister, her blood. What did his life mean to her? It certainly wasn’t more valuable. At least not to her. Michael knew if he had been in her position, and someone he cared about was at risk, he would have done anything to secure their safety. 

He wasn’t angry, just resigned. The wolfsbane made him too weak to break through the cage. And even if he could, there was no guarantee he would make it out of the warehouse. Michael was sure Daryl had his men stationed around the exterior with a shoot to kill order. His pack wouldn’t find him before the wolfsbane killed him. 

There was a hollowness in his chest, a deep longing for something Michael couldn’t quite put his finger on. It almost felt like it wasn’t his feeling alone, but something shared. It didn’t make sense of it, and his clouded brain wasn’t willing to think too hard about it. 

“Why did you leave your pack?” he asked. 

“Because our alpha was abusive.”

“To the entire pack?” 

“No, just my sister.” Michael heard her sigh before she continued. “Not all werewolves are created equal. Not just in the sense of pack hierarchy: alpha, beta, omega. Sometimes, a werewolf is just weaker than the rest. Like the runt of the litter. My sister was that werewolf.” 

Michael shook his head. “What does that mean? I don’t understand.” 

“Have you ever heard of lycanthropic anomalous?” she asked, eyes turning to him. 

“No. Not that I remember.” 

Daviah let out a short, bitter laugh. “I’m not surprised. Most people attempt to hide the condition like it’s something to be ashamed of. As far as I know it’s rare, but it exists.” 

“Okay, but what  _ is _ it?” Michael snapped, growing impatient. He ignored Daviah’s glare. 

“It’s a condition,” she said slowly, “where the werewolf gene has mutated in utero. Not much is known about it other than it appears to be congenital and hereditary. My parents didn’t have it, but someone on either side of their lineage did. It used to be more common long ago, when women weren’t as healthy and the babies were weak. It affects the weak.” 

“And your sister was the weaker twin,” Michael interjected. Daviah nodded dolefully. Suddenly, he had a clearer image of her motives. “You think it was your fault? You were the stronger twin.” 

“Exactly. I made her weak by being stronger. It’s my fault she has this condition, so it’s my job to protect her. Even if that means handing over someone to a fate they don’t deserve.” Daviah drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She rested her chin on her knees, long braids falling like a curtain over the side of her face. “It makes her imbalanced, both emotionally and physically. She isn’t as strong or as fast as we are. She can’t make a full shift during the full moon, and the inability to do so turns into fits of rage. Sometimes it lasts only a few minutes, other times it’s hours before she’s calm. New moons are the worst because it makes her physically ill. If you think being human for that one night is tough, imagine being so sick you can’t even think on top of it.” 

“You can’t blame yourself for that, Daviah. You were a fetus. You couldn’t help what was happening.” He couldn’t imagine what it must be like to live with that kind of guilt. 

“Maybe not,” she said. “But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s my job to protect her.” 

"How did you find out about it?" 

"The pack's healer. He was an old werewolf. Older than any werewolf I'd ever heard of. He had seen it before, in a pack he was the healer for years before he was ours." 

“But why did you leave your pack?” Michael asked. “What did your alpha do?” 

Daviah tensed, but Michael couldn’t catch the chemical signatures coming from her. Another thing the wolfsbane was suppressing. 

“The pack I came from was not like your pack, or the Lancasters, or like any pack you’ve probably ever come across,” she said. “It wasn’t just a pack, it was an organization. A mob constantly involved in turf war with another pack that inhabited the city. The alpha, Roderick, was the kingpin at the center of our pack, his fingers dipped into all kinds of crime: money laundering, drug trafficking, illegal weapons, sex trafficking. You name it and he was part of it. It was just another thing that caused friction with the other pack who weren’t happy with just running half of the city. They wanted the whole goddamn thing. My dad was his right hand man until Roderick learned about Devina’s condition when we reached puberty and turned for the first time. Roderick was disgusted by Devina’s lack of being able to shift properly, by the anguish it caused her. Only the strong were part of his pack, but whether it was because Roderick cared or because he felt an obligation to my dad for so many years of service, I don’t know. He allowed Devina to live so long as her condition was kept a secret. No one in the pack, or the rival pack was to know about her. When the full moon came, we had to keep her chained to a wall in the basement so she couldn’t hurt anyone or herself. It was fine for awhile, but then my parents were killed and we were left alone. We were only thirteen at the time. I wasn’t strong enough to protect Devina from Roderick, from his abuse, from the things he made her do.” Daviah’s voice cracked. 

Michael drew in a sharp breath. Daviah didn’t have to elaborate for him to understand what she was talking about. He didn’t want to imagine it. It made him sick just thinking about it. 

“You were just a kid,” he murmured. “You didn’t have a chance against an alpha. Especially one as powerful as you claim this one was.” 

The light was too dim for him to be able to tell, but Michael swore he heard a soft sob escape Daviah. She was crying and even the part of him that was still angry at her softened. A small voice in his head warned him to be careful, that she might be lying again. But Michael didn’t think she was. Not this time. 

“A year later,” Daviah continued, “I knew we had to leave. Devina was too fragile as it was, and Roderick was breaking her spirit. My sister became a ghost of her former self, and if I didn’t get her out of there she wasn’t going to make it. So we left and never looked back. We should have found another pack, but I was too afraid it would be just like Roderick’s pack. I couldn’t risk it.” A mirthless laugh left her. “I guess hindsight is twenty-twenty.” 

Michael shook his head. “You have to know that not all packs would have rejected or abused your sister. Joy would never have done that. She would have taken you both in immediately.”

“But that’s just the thing. Devina is my responsibility. No one else’s. I take care of her.” 

“You can’t be solely responsible for another person, Daviah. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help.” 

“Says the guy who lied to his entire pack about what he was doing.” 

“That’s different,” Michael snapped. 

“How? How is it different?” Daviah demanded. “It isn’t. You chose to lie because you feel like this burden is yours and yours alone. You didn’t ask for help. You didn’t allow anyone to know what you were really feeling. So don’t you dare judge me and my choices.” 

Michael sighed. “I wasn’t judging you. I’ve just always sucked at practicing what I preach.” He fell silent for a moment. “Listen, I get why you did what you did. I would have done the same thing in your position, but what I don’t get is why you didn’t just tell me the truth? Why did you lead me on this wild goose chase. I would have come willingly.” 

For a long time, Daviah didn’t reply. “I was doing what I was told. Daryl Clifford’s had eyes on us the entire time. I was afraid if I deviated from that, they would kill Devina without a second thought.” 

How had he not realized they were being followed? Had Michael been so caught up in his own head that it had left him vulnerable? 

“Don’t think too hard on it,” said Daviah, as if she could hear his thoughts. “These are hunters after all, and the best of the best. You might be a werewolf, Michael, but you’re not omniscient. These guys know how to stay out of sight.” 

It didn’t make him feel any better. 

“For what it’s worth. I am sorry. I never wanted to hurt anyone.” Daviah’s voice was soft, but he could hear the guilt in it. “Maybe in another situation, we could have been friends.” 

“Yeah. Maybe,” Michael frowned. “Where is Devina now?”

“She got away. Barely. She’s still faster than a human hunter even with her condition. That’s why I’m here. I’ve taken her place under the guillotine.” 

“Is she going to make it on her own?” 

Daviah bit down on her lower lip and closed her eyes. “I told her to find Luke and your pack on the hope they would take her in.” 

The way Daviah said it left little room for hope. She sounded just as resigned to their fate as Michael felt. Part of Michael wanted them to come, but most of him didn’t. He wanted them to be safe. Not fighting for his life when he had thrown himself head first into the deep end. If any of them got hurt because they came for him, it would be Michael’s fault. 

Michael was at a loss. The silver prison surrounding him and the poison slowly seeping into his veins made him weaker and weaker as the moments passed. 

The two of them fell into silence, unsure of what else to say or do. The ache in his bones, in his chest, made him want to do nothing more than lay on the concrete and wait for it to be over. But something inside him told him to stay alive, to wait just a little longer, not to give up hope. It was that same strange feeling he’d had earlier, like it didn’t entirely belong to him. Michael had never experienced anything like it before, but he was too exhausted to try and figure it out. 

He laid down on the floor, pressing his hot cheek to the cool concrete. He hadn’t realized until that moment that he was running a fever. The last time Michael had felt this terrible, he had been in transition. He closed his eyes half way, listening to the sound of water dripping somewhere in the background. It was strange not to hear everything all at once; the hum of electricity in the walls, the beating of Daviah’s heart. He felt so  _ human _ . 

Suddenly, Michael felt like he was missing something integral within himself. It occurred to him just how dependent he had become on his werewolf capabilities; that at some point his mind and body had begun to work in tandem without him knowing it. He reached deep inside the depths of his mind the way Mali had taught him, looking for the frayed threads that had once existed there when he was newly turned and didn’t know how to balance two opposing natures. 

But the thread he found wasn’t frayed. It was whole, strong. Michael couldn’t begin to pinpoint when this had happened. It could have been attributed to anything; his relationship with Luke, his fierce need to protect Calum and his pack, or the irrevocable knowledge that he had to face his past once and for all. 

Michael was not a hunter. He was not a divided soul. He was a werewolf. It was his future. A future that he wanted very much to live long enough to experience though he didn’t think he would. 

He closed his eyes and let himself get lost in his own mind. Michael though about Calum and Joy, Mali and Ashley and Ashton. The people who had become like a family to him over time. Then he thought about Luke and his heart began to ache with a combination of love and heartbreak, both his own and Luke’s. 

In that moment he knew that the strangeness of what he had been feeling were not, in fact, his own. They were Luke’s as well. Michael didn’t know how he knew this, only that he did. 

_ I’m sorry. _ He thought.  _ I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.  _

  
  



	21. Chapter 21

Devina sat stiffly in one of the arm chairs, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea that was still steaming and her eyes were glued to the coffee table in front of her. Luke couldn’t blame her for that, especially when six other pairs of eyes were all focused on her. Tension thickened in the room, almost palpable, and the alpha was restless in the woman’s company. It wanted to act, not just sit around waiting for answers. 

Luke’s eyes roamed over the woman who looked so much like Daviah, yet was not. If he were still human, if he had met them in the street, he would not have been able to tell them apart at a cursory glance. It wasn’t that he had never happened across a set of twins before, but never had he met a pair that were so uncannily similar. 

But what stood out more noticeable than anything so far was just how unhealthy Devina looked. Her face was pallid, and dark circles had formed under her eyes as though she had not slept in weeks. Her eyes were dull and her clothes were dirty, possibly from running. She had deep scars around her wrists, and Luke had begun to wonder if Devina was a werewolf at all. He knew wounds from silver could take longer to heal than other types of wounds, but he had never heard of such leaving scars. 

Devina was an enigma all her own. 

Joy sat on the edge of a small sofa to the right of Devina, her hands clasped in her lap. Joy had warned them not to overwhelm Devina because they didn’t know her strengths or what she had been through. They wouldn’t want to spook her and lose a chance at learning more about Michael’s whereabouts. It was difficult to sit still and be patient when all Luke wanted to do was rip the information out of Devina and go. 

“Devina,” Joy said gently. “I know you’re afraid, but we need you to help us find one of ours. Can you do that?” 

The girls eyes remained on the coffee table. “I can try. I didn’t see much of where they took me. I was always either blindfolded or too sedated.” 

“Sedated?” Ashton frowned. “I thought that kind of stuff didn’t work on werewolves.” 

“Some things can like mistletoe or wolfsbane. Remember when I told you Michael shot Matthew in the neck with a dart?” Calum explained. “It packs a punch.” 

“This wasn’t mistletoe,” Devina interjected. “They use wolfsbane to keep you from the edge of consciousness. Only enough to keep you under, but not to kill you.” 

“That explains why you look so ill,” Mali observed. “It wouldn’t take much to keep a werewolf down, but long term use of it…” 

Luke didn’t like the way she trailed off like that. It was ominous and he found himself growing that much more impatient. “So you’re telling me that these people could be injecting Michael with wolfsbane and we’re just sitting around here on our asses and doing nothing?”

All eyes moved to him, but he didn’t feel any shame because of it. He was tired of waiting, tired of being patient. The longer they waited to get a move on, the more the sick feeling in his stomach that something was very, very wrong grew. The connection between himself and Michael felt like it was growing weaker. 

“Luke, I understand your concern but you need to be calm right now,” Joy chastised. “We’re all worried.”

Luke wanted to snap that none of them were as worried as he was because none of them could feel what he did. None of them knew what Michael was going through. But he bit his tongue and allowed Joy to handle the situation. He was too inexperienced at taking charge of situations, and he was too close to it. It affected him in a way that didn’t affect the others. 

Joy drew in a breath before she turned her attention back to Devina, who was glaring at Luke as if she were sizing him up. “Do you remember where you were being held captive?” 

“Up north somewhere. One of my more lucid memories is of them talking about the border and having a connection with customs. I assume they took me to Canada because it was cold.” 

“What else do you remember?” 

“Pain. Darkness. Fear.” Devina shuddered visibly. “They brought me to a basement and chained me with silver. They didn’t care that it burned or that I bled.” She rubbed her wrists subconsciously. “Occasionally they would send someone to bring me food, or a woman to help me clean up though I was always sedated during that, too. You can’t imagine how it feels to have your dignity stripped from you in such a way. Especially when you didn’t have much to begin with.” 

Her voice had dropped to a haunted whisper, and a shiver tendriled down Luke’s spine. Whatever horrors Devina had encountered had left her a ghost. He didn’t have to know her to realize that. 

“How did you get involved with someone like Daryl Clifford?” Ashley asked. “It’s not his usual M.O. to work with werewolves.” 

“He knows he’s not strong enough to take on a pack like yours.” Devina nodded at Joy. “He had to lure Michael out. My sister and I are rogues.” 

“What’s a rogue?” Luke asked. 

“A werewolf that is either banished from their pack or leaves voluntarily,” said Mali. “They’re vulnerable.” 

Devina shook her head. “That isn’t the only reason we were vulnerable. It’s because of me.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean,” she drew in a deep breath, “that I’m the reason Daryl Clifford was able to coerce Daviah in the first place. I have...a rare condition called lycanthropic anomalous.” 

Joy and Mali gasped simultaneously, while everyone else exchanged glances, unsure whether that was supposed to mean something to them. 

“And that is…?” Calum urged. 

“A genetic mutation that makes a werewolf unable to fully transition during the full moon and causes quite a lot of mental strife,” Mali said. “Often they are more susceptible to harm than werewolves without the condition that can leave scars.” Again, Devina rubbed at her wrists. “It can also make them unpredictable and dangerous to themselves and others.” 

Joy added, “And when she’s says it’s rare, she means it. The last documented case of lycanthropic anomalous was in the eighties. It can show up in a genetic line at random, but little is truly known about it and there is no cure.” 

Luke felt a twinge of sympathy in his heart for Devina in spite of himself. He didn’t want to feel sorry for her when she was all that was standing between him and his chance to find Michael. Still, he understood it was something she could not help so she couldn’t be blamed for it. 

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why Daviah did what she did,” Luke said. “She still went along with the plan.” 

“Because he threatened to kill me,” Devina replied. “I’m her Achilles heel. She feels guilty for me being born they way I am. Nothing I’ve said has ever convinced her otherwise. She was trying to protect me. Now she’s replaced me. Daryl won’t let her live.” 

Luke scoffed and stood from the couch. A myriad of emotions stormed through him: rage, fear, even a little compassion. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand Daviah’s motive - Devina was her twin sister - but her actions had still led to Michael being lured into a trap. How was he supposed to care about what happened to her when she could be the reason Michael didn’t come home. 

“Are you going to tell us where to find Michael or not?” he growled at Devina, looking down at her with as much menace as he could muster. She showed little fear as she stood slowly, meeting his gaze as though there wasn’t a substantial height difference between the two of them. Her eyes narrowed and for a moment, Luke thought she might bear her teeth at him. “Well?” 

“Are you going to save my sister?” 

“Should I? She’s the reason we’re in this mess to begin with.”

An actual growl came from the girl and she stepped into his space, the alpha rising to the bait of a challenge. Devina narrowed her eyes, and the hair on the back of his neck rose as he glared back at her. 

“Help my save my sister and I’ll help you save your boyfriend. I won’t tell you a goddamn thing otherwise,” she said slowly. 

For a brief moment, Luke thought of how easy it would be to rip her throat out. The full moon was only two days away, and he was stronger with each passing moment. He could do it. He could practically taste her blood on his tongue, see the light leave her eyes. 

“Both of you stand down.” Joy’s voice was a warning, and Luke jerked his eyes away from Devina. “There is no reason we cannot work together to ensure the safety of both Michael and Daviah. Killing each other won’t bring either of them home.” 

Luke knew Joy was right, but he didn’t like that he was going to have to play nice with people who betrayed Michael in the first place even if they had motive. 

He stepped back and took to pacing the floor instead, raking a hand through his hair as he breathed to try and calm the alpha. Even if he were stronger than Devina, he was no match for Joy. Besides, the last thing he wanted for his parents to learn was what a monster he could be. 

“My question is how did you get away?” Ashton asked, looking between Luke and Devina. “I can’t imagine Daryl just let you go.” 

“No, he didn’t. I got away because of Daviah’s handy work. She can be quite a problem when she wants to be. She held them off long enough for me to get away. I may have a condition, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely worthless,” she frowned. 

Ashton’s eyes went wide, and he flushed with embarrassment. “No! No, that’s not what I was insinuating at all. I’m sorry. I just...I thought werewolves were stronger with a pack, and since you don’t have one and they’re a whole clan of hunters…” He trailed off, flailing his hands helplessly to try and get his point across. 

Devina smiled faintly, shaking her head. “I’m not offended. It’s fine. You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

“And he’s very much taken,” Calum huffed indignantly. 

She waved a hand dismissively. “The male persuasion doesn’t interest me.” 

“Alright,” Luke interrupted loudly. “We don’t have time for this. If you want help getting your sister out then fine. We can do that, but I swear to God if you’re fucking with us then I’m going to rip your sister’s heart out of her chest and feed it to you. Are we clear?” 

Devina smirked, and Luke was discomfited by how much she looked like Daviah in that moment. “Crystal,” she said. 

“Good. Then let’s figure out how we’re going to get them back.” 

  
  


─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  
  


Ashton sat on the large wooden swing on the porch, gently rocking back and forth as he stared at his phone. He had a plethora of missed calls from both his mother and Lauren. He knew he should call them back, talk to Lauren and reassure her that he wasn’t angry. But he wasn’t sure if he was ready to talk to his mother about everything that had happened. Ashton wasn’t sure how she would take the news that he was involved with someone who wasn’t entirely human. Hell, maybe she wouldn’t believe any of this and think he’d made it all up for some strange reason. Calum had offered to sit with him, but Ashton had told him he would be fine. He would be. As soon as he figured out the best way to articulate this massive secret. 

His thumb moved over his phone as he brought up his mother’s phone number and hit the call button. He brought the phone to his ear and breathed in as it rang. Maybe she wouldn’t answer. Maybe she was asleep and he could put this off for another day...or three. They had a plan to rescue Michael and Daviah, and that was more important at the moment. 

But his mother picked up the phone with a soft hello and Ashton felt his chest tighten. 

“Hi Mom.” 

“Ashton? Oh god, I’ve been waiting to hear from you. Are you alright? Lauren told me about what you said to her at Christmas. Honey, if you’re having a problem with something you know you can tell me. I know college is tough and it’s easier to use substances to make it easier, but they’re so harmful Ash. Please tell me that’s not what’s going on?” 

He couldn’t stand how worried she sounded. Ashton closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the edge of the swing. “No, Mom, it’s not drugs. I swear. You know me and you know I’d never do that.” 

“Then what is it, baby? Are you too stressed? They have counselors on campus to help with that,” she said. “You should see-” 

“No, Mom...you’re not listening,” he interrupted. “It’s not drugs and it’s not stress. What Lauren told you was true. All of it. Do you really think Liz and Andy would have flown all the way out here if they thought it was just a joke?” 

His mother was silent for a long moment. The next sound he heard was a suppressed sob. He hadn’t meant to make her cry. “Oh shit. Mom, please don’t cry. I swear to you I’m okay. Luke’s okay. We’re all okay. Calum’s family are good to us. They’ve helped us so much and they treat us like we belong. I’m safe. I promise.” 

“I knew I should have tried harder to get you to choose a school closer to home where you wouldn’t be so far away. At least then I could have come to check on you.” Ashton could tell she held the phone away as she blew her nose into a tissue. “But you were always going to follow Luke wherever he went.” 

Ashton couldn’t deny that. They were best friends, platonic soulmates in a way he could have never predicted as a child. He wasn’t sure how much he believed in fate and the greater plan, but he knew that he and Luke were meant to take this journey together. It was rare for people to find a friendship so true you would do anything for them. They had found it in each other. They were two sides of the same coin. 

“You’ve always known that,” he whispered. 

A soft laugh left his mother. “I’m still not sure what to believe, but I know you’ve never lied before. It’s just a lot to wrap my mind around, Ash. I hope you’ll be patient with me while I come to terms with all of this. I’m grateful, though, that you have people who care about you.”

“He does, Mom. He really does.” 

“Calum?” 

“Yes.” He couldn’t help the smile that played on his lips as he said it. “You’ll love him. I know you will.”

“As long as he makes you happy that’s all I care about.” His mother sniffled faintly and he could hear her draw in a breath. “I love you, Ash.” 

“I love you too, Mom.” 

A few moments of silence passed before they hung up. Ashton let his phone drop into his lap and breathed out a sigh of relief. Some of the weight had been lifted from his shoulders, though he wasn’t sure his mother was ready to accept all of the truth. She would, in her own time, and until then Ashton would try not to be impatient. He wanted to be able to bring Calum home for spring break and introduce him to his family. He wanted his mother to love Calum as much as he did, and for Lauren and Harry to love him as well. He wanted both of their families to be able to share a space together, laugh over meals and support them in their relationship. 

Maybe it was a lot to ask for, but Ashton was hopeful. 

He picked up his phone a moment later and brought up the text thread with Lauren. He typed a quick message and sent it. 

_ I’m not mad at you. Love u. _

Three dots popped up on his screen, indicating Lauren was messaging him back.

_ Love u 2. Sorry but i got worried. _

Ashton sighed softly and typed back.

_ I know sis. Its okay. Luke isn’t mad either. _

_ Good. Hug him for me. _

_ Will do. _

He waited to see if Lauren would send anything else, and when she didn’t Ashton turned off the screen of his phone. 

The French doors leading into the living room opened and Ashton looked up to see Luke there. 

“Can I join you?” he asked. 

“Sure.” 

Luke walked over to the swing and sat down, slouching against the back of it. “I’m not ready for any of this,” he admitted. 

“Who would be? This isn’t typical college stuff, Luke. This is...this is something that we never thought could exist. There’s no way to prepare for this kind of situation. You know that right?” he asked. 

“Yeah, I do. It’s just,” Luke paused, worrying at the inside of his cheek with his teeth. “I’m so fucking scared right now of everything. I’m scared for Michael, scared of losing him. I’m scared of his stupid dad who is a psychopath. Most of all, I’m scared of myself and what I might do when I see Daviah again.”

Ashton shook his head. “You’ll do the right thing because that’s who you are. You’re stronger than the animal. You and I both know that. No one is expecting you to forgive Daviah, but you do know that you did the exact same thing a few months ago, right? When you came to save me.”

“That’s different. I wasn’t putting anyone else in harm’s way. Just me.” 

“Maybe,” Ashton conceded. “But Daryl Clifford gave her an impossible choice. She chose her sister. If Jack or Ben were at risk, wouldn’t you do anything you could to save them? I know I would for Lauren or Harry.” 

Luke cut a glance to him and frowned. “I think you believe that, but when theory becomes reality I don’t think you can say for sure that’s what you would do. I don’t think any of us can.” 

“Again, maybe, but I’d choose you in a heartbeat.” A heavy sigh left his friend and when Luke looked at him, Ashton shrugged. “It’s true.” 

“Yeah, I know. So what do you think I should do?” 

“Help them. It’s the right thing to do.” 

“You know, I kind of hate when you get all morally high like this,” he laughed softly. “I know it’s the right thing to do. I’m just...I’m so afraid of losing him. I can feel him, you know, getting weaker. I don’t know what they’re doing to him, but it’s not good.”

Luke’s voice was tight, and Ashton could see him blink back tears. “Hey. Hey, we’re going to find him okay? I promise. We’re going to get him back and everything’s going to be okay.” He slipped his arm around his friend’s shoulders and squeezed him gently. “Everything’s going to be fine. Trust me.” 

Luke didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. Ashton knew Luke trusted him, that he had said what Luke needed to hear. Ashton just hoped his words were true.


	22. Chapter 22

The squeal of rusty door hinges echoed through the warehouse, startling Michael from fitful sleep. Every bone in his body ached from sleeping on the cold cement floor and the silver cage surrounding him. He felt disoriented, and it took him several seconds to remember exactly where he was. Part of him was surprised he had survived through the night with the wolfsbane constantly being pumped through the room. It was only a matter of time before it killed both of them.

The idea of it pissed him off more than anything. It was a cowardly way to take care of unfinished business. 

Raising his head, he looked toward where the door was now open, sunlight spilling across the floor. It silhouetted two, one that Michael recognized immediately as belonging to his father. He pushed himself up from the floor, unsteady on his feet, though he dared not touch the cage.

As the figures drew closer, Michael felt his heart start to race. It was only the second time he had seen his father in nearly three years, and the fear that wound through him was still just as prominent as it had been then. But that fear was laced with several other feelings Michael had not allowed himself the time to recognize. He was angry, bitter, resentful. Everything that came with being rejected by the person who was supposed to love you unconditionally. He had learned a long time ago that family isn't always blood - that you could choose your family - but it still stung to see his father standing there and looking at him with disgust. 

In the cage next to him, Daviah lay on the floor, her cheek pressed to the cement. She hadn’t bothered to get up when they had come in, and Michael wondered if she could. Without a pack, she wasn’t as strong so it was possible the wolfsbane would affect her quicker than it did him. His gut twisted at the thought. Michael had only ever seen her be strong, but as a hunter whose name he didn’t know opened the cage, Daviah barely moved a muscle. 

“What are you doing?” Michael asked, panic rising in his throat. “Leave her alone.” 

His father looked to him, bemused. “What? Don’t tell me you’ve grown fond of the girl who led you right into a trap.” Daryl Clifford reached into his pocket and withdrew a medium sized gun. “You won’t have to worry about her too much longer.”

Michael’s mouth went dry. It wasn’t a weapon a hunter would normally use when disposing a werewolf, but there were only two of them and they were weakened by the wolfsbane. It would take no more than one silver bullet to the head to kill them. 

The hunter who had opened the cage reached in and dragged Daviah from inside of it, dropping her in front of his father. “On your knees,” the hunter growled at her. 

Daviah made a soft sound of protest, lifting herself from the floor with shaky arms slowly. She managed to get to her knees, but just barely. Her skin was ashen, and sweat beaded at her temples. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered like she had a horrible case of the flu and was trying to sweat out the fever. Her glassy eyes slid from Daryl to Michael, and he saw something in them that he didn’t want to: resignation. She was prepared to die now that Devina had gotten away, and Michael swore he could read her thoughts through her gaze.  _ Take care of her.  _ She looked back to his father just as Daryl pressed the gun to her forehead. 

“No!” Michael shouted, slamming his hands against the bars of the cage. He hissed as his skin burned. “Don’t touch her!”

His father was right, Daviah had lured him into a trap but that didn’t mean she deserved to die for it. Michael couldn’t hold her solely accountable because he had followed her against his instincts. On some level he couldn’t quite explain, he knew the two of them were alike. That he would do anything to save the people he loved, even if it meant sacrificing another. In the back of his mind, he wondered if that made him a terribly selfish person. Maybe it did, but Michael couldn’t - wouldn’t - be sorry for it. 

Daryl cocked the hammer of the gun, the click of it much louder as it echoed off the walls of the warehouse. Michael’s heart jack-hammered in his chest and he hit the bars again, hardly feeling the burn over his panic. Daviah had closed her eyes, her jaw clenched and her fists curled at her sides. He felt angry all of a sudden at her weakness, her resolve. How could she just  _ give up _ ? 

“Daviah!” he growled. “What are you doing? Fight back!” Michael’s teeth grit, and tears pricked at the back of his eyes. “What about Devina, huh? You did all of this to protect her, to save her. You were willing to throw me to the lions to save your sister, and now you’re just going to fucking give up? She still needs you!.” He kicked at the bars of the cage. 

It was a low blow, and he knew it, but Michael didn’t think there was anything else that motivated Daviah the way her twin did. 

Daryl’s face was annoyed as he cut a glance at Michael. “Shut your mouth, boy. Your time will come.” 

“It’s okay, Michael.” Daviah’s voice was tight. He could tell she was holding back tears. “I knew it might come to this. If one of us was going to die, it was always going to be me.” 

Michael could have spat in his anger. “And you think that’s what Devina would choose? Do you ever give her a choice about anything, Daviah? Or do you just make all of them for her without considering what she might want?” 

Daviah pressed her lips into a thin line, and he knew he had touched a raw nerve. He was right; she didn’t give Devina the autonomy she deserved. Just because her sister had a condition, didn’t mean she was incapable of making her own choices. 

“You can’t keep someone under glass, Daviah, even if it’s because you’re trying to protect them. Your sister wouldn’t want you to give up like this.”

Michael drew in a breath as the girl closed her eyes, her body tense with the gun pressed to her forehead. He knew they were weak because of the wolfsbane and so much silver surrounding them, but he realized in that moment, as he shamed Daviah for being weak, that he had to be strong as well. Michael didn’t want to die; he wanted to live. He wanted to go home to his family, to Luke. His inability to ask for anyone’s help had made him weakest of all, vulnerable. 

He couldn’t give up now. Not when he had something to live for, people who loved him. 

He dug deep inside of himself, searching for those emotions from earlier that hadn’t felt like his own. A small voice whispered in the back of his mind, telling him what he already subconsciously knew but had not yet admitted to himself. The connection that linked him to Luke, entwined their very souls. If he could just find the thread, draw on the strength of the person he loved so desperately but of an alpha, he might just have a chance at surviving. 

It felt like time slowed as Michael searched for that thread, his father’s eyes narrowing on him. The other hunter tensing as the atmosphere around them seemed to shift. 

There. 

Strong and vibrant. 

_ Help me _ , he thought.  _ Find me. _

If the bond was there, it would lead them to each other. He didn’t know how he knew this, only that he did. 

Michael’s eyes met his father’s, and his lips turned up into a satisfied grin. He could feel the borrowed strength flowing through him like electricity. The muddled sensation of the wolfsbane, while not entirely gone, had lessened. He wrapped his hands around the silver bars, holding back a hiss of pain as they burnt his palms, the scent of burnt flesh making him want to gag. He steeled himself and pulled. 

At first, the bars didn’t budge. Didn’t move even a centimeter. Michael growled in frustration, blood from his ruined hands dripping down the silver bars and his hands. 

“What the hell are you doing?” his father demanded. “Stop or I’ll kill you both.” 

Michael didn’t reply. He braced his feet against the floor and pulled again, using all of his strength, all of Luke’s strength, to pry them apart. 

“Shoot him!” hissed the other hunter, pulling a gun from behind his back and aiming it at Michael. “If you don’t then I will.” 

“Stand down!” his father roared. “This is my unfinished business.” 

That was all Michael ever was to his father, unfinished business. They were blood, but they were not family. Daryl Clifford was not a father. The father who had loved him had been killed in the fight with the alpha pack. But Michael didn’t have time for the sting of grief over David’s death. Not right now. 

An animalistic sound came from Michael as he pried the bars apart inch by inch, until they finally broke free of the cement where they were embedded. A cry of triumph left him as he rushed from the silver prison, tossing one of the bars aside. The second he swung at the hunter he didn’t know, knocking him off his feet. He had to let go of the bar. It had burned off too much of his skin already. 

Michael dropped the bar and rushed at his father and Daviah. Gunshots rang through the warehouse, ricocheting off the walls. He zig zagged in an attempt to miss being shot, but just as he reached Daviah he felt something bite into his left thigh. 

He cried out in pain, stumbling for just a moment. Michael’s hand went to the wound in his leg, the silver bullet buried in his skin. He gasped in a breath, forcing himself to push aside the pain and get to Daviah. If they didn’t get out soon, they were both going to die right here on this dusty cement floor. 

“Come on!” he cried, grabbing her arm and wrenching her up from the floor. “We have to go!”

Michael pulled her toward the door, ducking behind whatever he could to avoid more bullets. Daviah stumbled behind him, unable to fight off the wolfsbane. Outside, he could hear more hunters coming as backup. They were running out of time. 

“I can’t,” Daviah whimpered as they ducked behind a stack of wooden crates, nearly collapsing to the floor. Michael caught her before she could. “I can’t make it. Just go without me. You don’t need to save me. I don’t deserve it.” 

Hunters were filing through the door, weapons at the ready. Their hiding place was inadequate at best. They were going to have to find another way out. 

“Shut up. We’re both getting out of here. We can talk about how you can make it up to me later.” 

“Michael…”

“I said shut up!” Michael hissed. “Get on my back. I’ll carry you.” She looked at him skeptically. “Goddammit, Daviah, just do it! We don’t have time for this.” 

She nodded, and moved behind him to climb onto his back, legs around his waist and arms around his neck. The extra weight coupled with the wolfsbane and silver in his body would slow him down, so he tugged a little harder on that thread, praying Luke could withstand him borrowing his strength for just a little longer. He held tightly to Daviah’s thighs and raced from behind the crates toward the back of the warehouse. 

Shouts and bullets rang out around him, angry footsteps pursuing them to try and stop them from escaping. 

The only way through the warehouse was up, and Michael was grateful there were stairs that led to a storage loft with windows. 

He raced up the stairs, the metal shaking under their combined weight and jarring his teeth. Just a few more feet and they would be out of the warehouse. 

“Hang on!” he shouted to Daviah as he bolted toward the windows. 

“Michael, stop! Are you crazy?” she shrieked into his ear. 

Maybe he was crazy, but it was either risk jumping out the window or staying here and being shot to death. Michael was going to choose the risk. It would hurt. Of course it would, but he was a werewolf with the strength of an alpha with him. They would make it. 

He jumped. 

The sound of shattering glass and Daviah’s scream filled his head as they plummeted thirty feet toward the ground. Michael hoped against hope that when they made it to the ground, the impact didn’t shatter his legs. He braced himself as the ground rushed toward them. 

His feet hit the ground and he buckled under the force and their weight. Michael cried out as pain shot through every part of his body and they rolled a few feet before stopping in a patch of grass. He took only a few seconds to assess any damage that might have been done, and when he was sure that he wasn’t injured too badly, he scrambled to where Daviah lay, coughing. 

“Are you okay?” he asked. 

“You crazy motherfucker,” she gasped. “Are we dead?”

Michael let out a mirthless laugh. “Not yet. But we’re going to be if we don’t hurry up. Is anything broken?” Everything hurt, but he was pretty sure he had gotten lucky. 

A bullet shot between them, burrowing into the dirt and send up a spray of dust. Michael jumped up and grabbed Daviah, pulling her onto his back before running toward the copse of trees a few hundred yards away. 

Please. Please let us get out of this. 

He grit his teeth as he forced himself to move faster despite the pain rippling through him, his burnt palms agitated against the denim of Daviah’s jeans, and the throb of the bullet in his thigh. He would have to get it out as soon as it was safe to stop before the poison of the silver spread too far.

The shouts behind him became white noise as he focused on getting into the trees ahead of them. They were close. A few more feet and they would have cover, a chance. 

Sweat poured down his skin. Daviah clung to his back, her nails digging into his collar where she held on. He raced into the treeline. 

But he didn’t stop. Not until the bullets and crossbow bolts stopped flying, and the angry cacophony had faded. 

Michael didn’t know how long he ran for, but eventually the trees gave way to a riverbank and he collapsed on the stony ground, his vision tunneling. 

_ Hang on _ , said a voice that he knew only existed inside his subconscious. A voice that was distinctly Luke’s.  _ I’m coming. _


	23. Chapter 23

Luke turned his collar up against the icy rain that pelted him as he got out of the Xterra. The weather seemed to match is mood, and with the full moon tomorrow night Luke felt like his nerves were on fire. Everything he felt was amplified threefold, including the thread that seemed to tether him to Michael. The further away from Eugene they traveled, the stronger the connection got until Luke swore he felt it tugging him in a particular direction. It made no sense. It wasn’t something he could see or touch. Mali had said it was a cosmic connection, something that had been put into motion a long time ago. She had told him that reason didn’t apply to everything, and faith filled the gaps. Luke wasn’t sure how much faith he had, past or present, but he could not deny the connection he felt. He wondered how Michael would feel about it. It almost felt like an invasion of privacy, albeit one he could not help. 

Gravel crunched under the tires of Joy’s F150, and when she parked Mali was the first to exit the vehicle. Joy followed and Devina was the last to exit. If it was at all possible, she looked even more frail than when she had showed up at the house yesterday. While the pending full moon strengthened most werewolves, it seemed as though it just made Devina weak. Luke had never seen anything quite as unsettling, and his stomach squirmed uncomfortably. 

Ashley, Calum and Ashton joined him at the front of the Xterra and the four of them looked at the end of the driveway. Joy was familiar with what she called a ‘safehouse’ for werewolves who were traveling. The Knotts had been longtime friendly acquaintances of her and David, telling them she had been to their home once several years ago for a celebration of their daughter’s birth. The trip would take a little over seven hours and they would leave in the morning.

Now as they stood beneath the gray, rainy sky Luke thought the house appeared appropriately dismal. There were no vehicles in the driveway and no lights on in the windows. There was an energy around the place that sent a shiver down Luke’s spine. 

“I don’t like this place,” Ashton murmured next to him. 

“Me either.” 

“I feel like something really bad happened here. Can’t you feel it?” 

Luke nodded. He could feel it. In fact, he was pretty sure all of them could feel it. 

Devina appeared next to him suddenly, startling him when she spoke. “This was the last place I saw them. In the woods.” She pointed to the east of the property. “There’s a clearing about half a mile in.” 

“Let’s go then,” Luke said. 

They walked through the yard and toward the woods, the rain letting up a small relief. Just as they were about to enter the woods, a hand touched his harm, stopping him short. 

Luke turned to see it was Joy who had stopped him. “What’s up?” he asked. 

“I wanted to talk to you about the bond. Mali told me what Ashley said to you and we haven’t had a chance to have a conversation about it,” she replied. 

He nodded, giving her the go ahead to continue as they trailed behind the others. They weren’t far enough away that their preternatural hearing wouldn’t hear, but Luke hoped they wouldn’t eavesdrop too much. 

“Ashley said it’s rare,” he said slowly. “That not much is known about it.”

“She’s right. I’ve only known one other bonded pair and that was many, many years ago. When David and I were still young and before I was an alpha. There have been very few documented bonded pairs and most of what is known about them is speculation. The bond is different for every pair,” she explained. “It is not always romantic, but even so both parties would feel an obligation and responsibility to each other. They would be stronger together. If it is romantic, well, love is a very powerful thing. It is believed that bonded pairs were written into the grand design, pre-destined to meet and compliment one another since the witches first cast their spell to create werewolves. Perhaps they were always meant to work in pairs, but the goddess does not always bestow every desire we have. We can only speculate, of course.”

“Of course.” Luke frowned faintly. “It’s like I can feel him inside of me. I can feel his emotions, his pain. It’s like...not reading his thoughts but the impression of them.”

“Yes. That seems to be common among bonded pairs. It has been said that a bonded pair can find each other no matter the distance. It takes a great deal of concentration and an open mind. I know that you are struggling with being a new alpha, and it is even harder with the full moon so close, but I think that if you really try you can make use of this connection to find Michael.” 

“I want too,” he murmured. “I want to find him more than anything.”

“We will. No matter what it takes.”

He found comfort in Joy’s confidence that they would find Michael, that they would not simply give up if it got too hard. Luke reminded himself that he was not the only one that loved and cared about Michael. He reminded himself that working together was going to benefit him more than working alone, which is something Michael had obviously not taken into consideration. Or if he had, he’d ignored the simple fact. As much as Luke was worried about Michael, a small part of him was also angry with him over how stupid of a decision he had made. It was a decision that could have potentially gotten him killed. Luke tried to swallow the anger before it took root and agitated the alpha. Since the night before, he had been able to keep a tight lid on the alpha, though he knew it was tenuous with the full moon so close. 

“Michael has worked so hard to shut people out,” Luke said. “How do I know this won’t make him push me further away?” 

Joy smiled faintly. “I think you’re different, Luke. I think you are the change he’s needed all this time.” 

Luke returned her smile, but his mirth over Joy’s words lasted only seconds as they neared the clearing of the wood and a rank smell reached his nose, causing him to gag. Just ahead of them, Ashley and Calum had covered their noses and mouths with their shirts. Even Mali and Ashton looked a bit ill. 

“God, what is that?” he asked as he and Joy joined the rest of their group. It smelled of chemicals and rancid, burned meat.

Devina had not reacted at all, and Luke wondered if it was because her werewolf senses were generally on the fritz. She said nothing as she continued to walk toward the edge of the clearing and stopped just inside the circle. Luke could hear the catch of her breath, the nervous uptick of her heart. He followed her gaze and immediately wished he hadn’t. 

Inside the clearing, in a circle of blood and a silvery substance Luke did not recognize, were two bodies. One body was larger than the other, but only slightly. Their burned hands were intertwined, and their skin was split open, charred in places and bright pink muscle in others. The same silvery liquid on their ground ran rivulets along parts of their bodies, their clothes intact but bloodied. There were no marks on the bodies to suggest they had been burned on the outside, instead it looked as though they had been burned from the inside out. 

Luke’s knees buckled, and he reached to brace himself against the nearest tree so he couldn’t collapse. His stomach churned and he wretched despite there being nothing in his stomach to vomit. The bile burned the back of his throat and he drew in as deep a breath as he dared to try and settle himself. 

He had never seen anything like it, and it was clear that no one else had either.

“Oh god,” Ashton muttered somewhere nearby. “Oh god oh god oh god.” 

His friend’s voice was bordering on hysterical and Calum came up beside him, wrapping an arm around Ashton’s shoulders and using a gentle hand to turn his face away from the gruesome scene. Ashton buried his face against Calum’s shoulder, his torso shuddering. 

Luke pressed his lips into a thin line, movement in his peripheral catching his attention. Mali walked toward the bodies and stopped just where the burnt edge of the pit stopped and knelt on the wet ground. 

“You don’t have to do this,” said Ashley, resting a hand on Mali’s shoulder. “Some things are better left unseen.”

“They deserve for people to know what happened to them, what horror they had to face.” Mali dug her fingers into the wet dirt and ashes. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Show me. Guide us in the right direction.” 

Luke watched her, morbid curiosity getting the better of him as he watched Mali’s eyes move rapidly behind her eyelids. Ashley had let her hand fall away from Mali’s shoulder, and she didn’t look happy with whatever Mali was about to do. A moment later, he realized why as Mali’s eyes flew open. They had gone completely white. And when she spoke, the voice was not her own. 

“Follow the thread that connects you. You already have what you need to find your way. Do not hesitate for time grows short and the danger grows, ” Mali said, her voice sounding like five all speaking at once. “Hurry before the danger grows. Time is short.” 

Mali’s whole body shuddered violently before she slumped forward. Ashley moved quickly to catch her before she hit the ground, cradling her girlfriend’s head in her lap. 

“I hate when you do this,” Ashley said, her voice tight with worry. “You’re so stubborn.”

Luke was frozen in place, his heart in his throat. It took him several long moments before he trusted his voice to speak. “What...the fuck...was that?”

“Spirit channeling,” Ashton answered. “Mali can act as a conduit.”

“A conduit for  _ what _ ?” 

“Anyone beyond the Veil,” said Calum. “Usually Mali only speaks with our ancestors when she needs guidance, but even then it can be dangerous. If she were to go too deep into the other world, or if her lifeline is somehow severed, she could die.” 

“I’ve cautioned Mali over the risk,” Joy interjected. “The more I attempted to forbid the practice, the more she was intent to hone the ability. I had to learn to trust her despite how much I dislike the practice.” 

Ashley sniffed and moved a piece of hair from Mali’s face. “Every time she does this, I worry it’ll be the one time she won’t come back. It scares me so much.” 

“Are all witches capable of doing this?” Luke asked. 

Joy shook her head. “No. Not all. It’s a specific skill set that most either cannot accomplish or do not wish to accomplish because of the danger.  Mali leaves no stone unturned.”

Mali woke then with a great gasp, her eyes popping open and looking around wildly. Her hand grasped Ashley’s arm, fingernails digging into her coat. 

“Mal,” Ashley cooed softly. “Mali, you’re okay. It’s me. It’s Ash. You’re okay.” 

Mali settled as Ashley held her close, her face buried into the side of her girlfriend’s neck for a moment until she was able to collect herself. She didn’t leave the comfort of Ashley’s arms when she finally told them what she saw. 

“It was Daryl Clifford’s clan for sure. They used this location as a trap and these two women, Michelle and Victoria Knott, were collateral damage. They used wolfsbane to subdue them. They tied them up and then injected them with something that burned them from the inside out.” A soft sob came from her. “So much pain. Such an awful, awful way to die.” 

Luke’s throat felt thick as he watched Ashley hold Mali tighter, murmuring soothing words to her. He could barely look at the bodies knowing they were innocent in all of this, that they had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. If they had been faster, if Luke had started looking for Michael sooner, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. He could feel the forlornness all around him, the execution of innocents forming a pulsing negative energy around the area. It was uncomfortable at best and sickening at worst. 

“What did they inject them with, Mali?” Joy asked gently as she crouched near her daughter. “Could you tell?”

“I don’t know, but the only thing that burns werewolves is silver.” 

They all exchanged looks, wondering how they had kept the metal in a liquid form long enough to inject it into werewolves. 

“It’s possible,” Joy started, hesitating for a moment. “It’s possible they’ve found a way to engineer a colloidal silver. I can’t say for sure that’s what it is, but it makes sense.”

“What the hell is colloidal silver?” asked Calum. 

“In short, a mixture of silver particles suspended in a liquid. You can buy colloidal silver in any health food store as it was once an ancient remedy. Normally, the particles would be too small to even filter out of the liquid, but it could have been re-engineered somehow to make the particles larger. After all, it doesn’t take much silver to kill a werewolf and if you have that injected into your bloodstream...well…” Joy gestured to the bodies. 

For a long time, no one spoke, each of them unsure if there was even anything to say. Ashley stood from the wet ground, helping Mali to her feet and guiding her toward a tree to lean against until her strength came back. Luke realized it must have taken a lot out of her. 

“We should give them a proper burial,” Ashton suggested softly. “And cleanse this area.” 

“What about her husband?” Calum asked, looking toward Joy. 

“I’ve been unable to reach him,” she answered. 

“It’s because he’s dead,” Mali said. All of them looked to her with grim expressions. “The ancestors showed me his death as well. Shot in the head with a silver bullet.” 

“Jesus Christ,” Luke whispered. 

In the back of his mind, in a place where he often compartmentalized his feelings on terrible situations, he knew the world was a fucked up place. He knew that people committed unspeakable acts every day, took innocent lives for no other reason than the system failing them one way or another. But he had never actually  _ seen _ those unspeakable acts until recently. He still could not wrap his mind around the atrocities people could commit against one another because of fear, hate and bigotry. No matter what explanation could ever be provided, that was exactly what this violent act was: a hate crime. 

“Let’s go see if we can find some dry wood .”

  
  


─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  
  


They found a pile of wood inside a shed at the back of the property. While Luke, Calum and Ashton built a pyre to give Michelle and Tori Knott a proper funeral, Mali and Ashley had found white sheets in the house to wrap the bodies in. Joy contacted the Order to inform them of the tragedy, and the voice on the other end of the phone assured her they would take care of any problems that should arise. 

Luke hated the way the voice on the phone sounded so indifferent to the news, as though Michelle and Tori Knott were an inconvenience instead of people. He clenched his jaw, willing himself not to rip the phone out of Joy’s hand and scream at the man on the other end. He didn’t want to lose control and unleash the alpha. In his emotional state, he wasn’t sure he could put the lid back on it. 

They wrapped Michelle’s and Tori’s bodies in the white sheets and placed them on the pyres they had built. Joy tucked the phone into her back pocket and lit the torch with a lighter Ashley had found in the Xterra. Luke hoped the rain would hold off until after Michelle and Tori were laid to rest. 

“Today we send two of our brethren into the afterlife,” Joy said. “Two bright souls that were taken from the world too soon because of a long standing hatred between man and wolf. Though both species have buried many of their shared grudges, some still struggle with their abhorrence. We can only continue with attempting to educate the ignorant, and those we cannot reach we must let go of. It is a shame that these two women were caught in the crosshairs of a fight that was not their own. May they pass into the afterlife and find peace with our ancestors.” She touched the flaming end of the torch to the bottom of the pyre. “Go safely, sisters, into the light that welcomes you.” 

Luke shivered in the cold, wishing more than anything that he had Michael next to him in that moment, wishing he could hold his hand or wrap his arms around him. Once he might have reached for Ashton for comfort, but he wasn’t sure that was allowed anymore with Calum being his boyfriend. He was surprised when he felt a hand slip into his own, eyes darting to his best friend and offering a weak smile. Ashton could still read him better than anyone in the world. 

The flames did not take long to consume the wood and the bodies of Michelle and Tori with them. When there was nothing left but ashes, swept away on a strong breeze that would return them to the Earth. 

Off to the side, Devina stood with her arms wrapped around herself, the dark circles under her eyes more pronounced in the gray world around them. All of her emotions flashed through her eyes: fear, anger, sadness. Luke reminded himself she had not asked for this anymore than the rest of them. It was the only thing keeping him from wanting to kill her. 

The seven of them turned to head back to the vehicles, the only lead they had the connection between Luke and Michael. Joy believed it would take them to Michael, but he wasn’t so sure. He didn’t know how to tap into a part of him that he never knew he had. More than anything, Luke felt like he was going to fail Michael completely. 

They had nearly reached the driveway when a sudden wave of dizziness washed over Luke. The world suddenly tipped on its axis, and he stumbled before crashing to his knees. 

“Luke!” Ashton cried, immediately rushing to his side. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” 

Luke dug his fingers into the wet earth beneath his fingers. “I-I don’t know. I just felt so dizzy. It’s like...I don’t know how to explain it. I feel exhausted all of a sudden.” He grit his teeth as his heart beat tripled, fear winding through him. 

“Mom, what’s happening to him?” Calum asked, panic clear in his voice. 

“It might be the bond. Bonded werewolves can draw on each other’s strength, their energy. Whatever Michael is dealing with he needs your strength, Luke. Don’t fight it. If the bond is strong enough, you might be able to find out where he is.”

“How?” Luke growled through gritted teeth. 

“Open your mind to it!” Joy demanded. 

The alpha reared its head, excitement coursing through it to feel something from his bonded partner. Luke groaned as his body stiffened, forcing himself to concentrate on the thread that linked the two of them. He pulled back on it, slowing Michael’s ability to draw it from him before he took too much. 

Luke closed his eyes, whispering, “Come on, Mikey. Show me where you are.” 

And then it was as though he were looking through Michael’s eyes. There were silver bars, a dusty warehouse and Daryl Clifford with a gun to Daviah’s head. He could feel the burn against his palms as Michael fought his way out of the cage. 

“I can see it. It’s a warehouse. Michael’s trying to get to Daviah because she’s in trouble.” Luke gasped, pausing to draw air into his lungs. “I can smell the wolfsbane they’ve been using to keep them sedated. God, the silver fucking  _ burns _ .” 

“Is Daviah alive?” Devina had pushed her way toward Luke, eyes wide with fear. “Is she okay?” 

“She’s alive for now, but we’re running out of time. A warehouse. I can’t tell where it’s at though because they’re inside.”

“Calgary,” Devina said suddenly. “I remember overhearing someone in his clan talk about warehouses near Calgary. They didn’t say exactly where, but it’s a start.” 

“You’re just telling us this now?” Calum demanded. “Seriously?”

“There was nothing to indicate that’s where my sister and Michael were being taken,” she snapped. “Why doesn’t the witch use a tracking spell?” 

“Hey!” Ashley growled. “Watch your mouth.” 

“Enough!” 

Joy’s voice erupted around them and all attention snapped to her. Luke drew in a shaky breath as Joy’s presence subdued the betas around her. Even his own alpha, newborn as he was, was tempted to listen. 

“We are not going to get anywhere if we start fighting with each other,” she said. “Mali has already attempted a tracking spell, but Daryl Clifford is a smart man as warded against those spells. The only thing we can rely on now is Luke’s connection to Michael.” She turned to Devina. “Are you sure it was Calgary?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the girl responded softly. “I’m sure.” 

“Then that’s where we’ll go. I will contact my second and have them on their way in an hour. Luke, keep that connection as open as you can without exhausting yourself.”

Luke nodded, though he wished he hadn’t as another wave of dizziness swept over him. The connection had been loosened and he was no longer looking through from Michael’s perspective. He swore he heard Michael’s voice, asking him to find him. 

Slowly, he pushed himself up from the ground and followed his friends to their vehicles. They were Calgary bound. 

_ I’m coming, Michael _ , he thought.  _ Hang on a little longer _ . 

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back, lovelies! I'm so excited for you to read the next installment of this series. I'm happy to know so many of you have been looking forward to a sequel and I'm really excited to write it for you. As always, I promise to update as often as I can! Thank you all so much for your support during the writing process of ALL, and I look forward to all your thoughts on Internus Lupus!
> 
> Happy reading! 
> 
> -TJ


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